NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, Patuxent River, Md. – A collaborative effort between Navy commands has yielded a breakthrough in aircrew safety: a cutting-edge, 3D-printed Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS).
The Naval Aviation Training Systems and Ranges Program Office (PMA-205), Naval Education and Training Command (NETC), Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training (CNATT), and Commander, Naval Air Forces training and readiness (CNAF N7), are pioneering additive manufacturing techniques to support aircrew survival equipmentman rating training requirements.
“This effort is a prime example of how collaboration and innovation across commands can deliver real results for the fleet,” said Capt. Jonathan Schiffelbein, PMA-205 program manager. “By leveraging additive manufacturing, our teams not only met critical training requirements but also advanced readiness and cut lifecycle costs, directly supporting our Sailors and the mission.”
Aligned with strategic objectives to enhance readiness and reduce lifecycle costs, the commands and PMA-205’s Ready Relevant Learning (RRL)/A School representatives, pursued an innovative path to deliver advanced technology that enhances pilot performance and survivability, and contributes to a safer and more resilient fleet.
At a unit cost of $870 and multi-year procurement timelines, the legacy JHMCS visor posed delays to curriculum execution and fleet sustainment. Faced with CNATT’s projected requirement of 40 visors annually, the existing supply model presented significant fiscal and operational limitations.
The team identified a path forward via additive manufacturing with an Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene– a 3-D printing filament — prototype visor that met essential design criteria, including dimensional accuracy, smooth Helmet Display Unit integration, and familiar trimming characteristics. The new visors can now be produced with a 65 percent cost savings and in a compressed delivery timeline from years to mere weeks. The creation of a supporting technical data package ensures replicability across fleet intermediate level maintenance print sites, unlocking a scalable and sustainable supply solution.
“This initiative represents more than just a cost reduction,” said Schiffelbein. “It is a proactive investment in agility, instructional fidelity and long-term readiness.”
CNATT commander, Capt. Michael Polito, lauded the team’s collective performance focused on delivering to the Warfighter.
“This project is the epitome of what happens when we collaborate to provide aviation technical training solutions that will ultimately lead to positive outcomes in the fleet,” Polito said.