Elbit Systems’ BrightNite Declared Operational by an Air Force of a NATO Country

Haifa, Israel. Having being declared operational, Elbit Systems delivered BrightNiteTM systems for Puma330 helicopters of an Air Force of a NATO country. Users’ feedback has been extremely positive, with pilots emphasizing the contribution of the system to Degraded Visibility Environment (DVE) flights and describing it as a “game changer” and a “breakthrough in pitch dark night flight”.

Low flying, mission helicopters are vulnerable to threats such as difficult terrain, enemy fire and the intersection of utility wires in the flight path while sorties must often be carried out in DVE, adding to the already heavy workload and leaving flight crews to rely on NVGs to accomplish their mission. BrightNite system is designed to overcome visibility limitations and enable to safely and effectively fly mission helicopters in pitch dark nights and in DVE conditions including poor weather conditions, brownouts, whiteouts and sandstorms.

BrightNite transmits high-resolution video to the Helmet-Mounted Display (HMD), allowing pilots to fly in a head-up, eyes-out position. The system processes real-time panorama video, pre-loaded terrain and obstacle information enhanced by a 3D conformal and intuitive symbology. BrightNite utilizes unified location-based information culled from a wide Field Of View (FOV) to display crystal clear images, regardless of visibility conditions. BrightNite can present information to multiple pilots simultaneously on an intuitive multi-functional display.