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The United States Army introduced Helmet Mounted Displays (HMD) into its weapon inventory over fifteen years ago with the fielding of the AH-64 Attack Helicopter. To date the Integrated Helmet and Display Sight System (IHADSS) is still the only fielded HMD in the Army inventory. The HMD contractor community can expect the Army to increase the utility of HMDs in the next decade on a variety of weapon platforms. This is evident through such development programs as Land Warrior and Comanche, and advanced developments such as Air Warrior, Mounted Warrior, and the Driver Vehicle Enhancement Program. Should these programs continue to mature into production, we can expect to see HMD technology proliferate on several more soldier, vehicle and aircraft platforms.

The U.S. Army is setting in motion a massive force restructuring under Force XXI and Army After Next doctrines. These force structures of the future call out for significantly increased reliability requirements in new technology material acquisition, and methods for how these technologies are sustained on the battlefield. HMD contractors, along with the rest of the defense industry, will be directly impacted by these revolutionary requirements. The changes forthcoming bring challenges and new opportunities both in the laboratory and through the logistical support contractors are expected provide. This paper identifies some of the challenges HMD contractors will face as the Army moves forward to integrate HMDs on a multitude of legacy and newly developed weapon platforms. It sets the stage with a summary of events that occurred in 1990 when Honeywell was tasked by the Army to support IHADSS repair during Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm. It then examines some of the future changes we as contractors can expect from the Army in future material development and product support.