Digital Light Engine Head-Up Display (HUD)

A head-up display or HUD, as it’s widely known, is a see-through display that sits directly in a pilot’s line of sight, significantly increasing their situational awareness. The system presents real-time, essential flight information overlaid onto a view of the outside world, allowing pilots to digest vital data with a ‘head-up, eyes-out’ approach.

Designed for mission effectiveness, BAE Systems’ Digital Light Engine (DLE) HUD is a modular, electro-optic digital upgrade for traditional analogue HUDs. The advanced DLE technology removes the conventional cathode ray tube (CRT) powering the legacy system and introduces an advanced digital display solution.

DLE can be seamlessly integrated into existing aircraft systems, mitigating the need for costly cabling and computer changes. For aircraft being upgraded with digital systems, DLE provides the opportunity to simplify the aircraft architecture by removing the need for legacy analogue drive systems.

Benefits of DLE HUD

• Reduces lifecycle costs by 20 percent and offers at least four times the reliability (increased Mean Time Between Failure)
• Addresses obsolescence issues by removing conventional CRT technology
• Backward compatible to any existing aircraft interface, offering minimal impact on display performance
• Installation requires no changes to the aircraft, cabling or computing
• Offers consistent luminance throughout life of equipment, with high-resolution symbology viewable under any flight conditions
• Provides daylight video capability and compatibility with in-service night-vision goggles
• Designed to accommodate increased symbology and video capabilities of the future

Our HUD legacy

BAE Systems has been a leader in HUD development and production for more than 60 years, a position gained through continuous investment in technology and innovation. The company has produced more than 15,000 head-up displays, which have been in service on more than 50 different aircraft types in more than 50 countries around the world. This includes some of the most advanced and demanding military aircraft, such as the Eurofighter Typhoon, F-16 Fighting Falcon and F-22 Raptor.