Kopin, a US-based electronic display devices manufacturer, has secured a $1.6m follow-on order under the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter programme.

The company is the sole supplier of microdisplays for the F-35 pilot helmets since the inception of the programme.

Kopin Government Programs vice-president Bill Maffucci said: “This follow-on order extends our backlog of scheduled deliveries into the first quarter of 2022, providing good visibility for our manufacturing plan.

“As the sole provider of displays to the F-35 production programme, we benefit from our strong relationship with the DoD in obtaining valuable feedback, which we leverage to continuously improve our display technology.

“These enhancements have implications for the F-35 programme, as well as many future opportunities with the military, as well as enterprise customers.”

The F-35 is a family of single-seat, single-engine multi-role combat aircraft designed to perform air superiority and strike missions. They can also be used for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations.

The US is procuring F-35 strike fighter aircraft in different configurations to support the requirements of US Air Force, US Marine Corps and US Navy.

A key component of the programme is the augmented reality (AR) helmet used by the F-35 pilots.

Kopin delivers the display technology of the head-mounted displays, which provides the pilot with flight, tactical, and sensor information for advanced situational awareness, precision and safety.

To date, Kopin has delivered thousands of displays for the F-35 pilot helmets. The company expects to receive additional orders as the F-35 scheduled for production until 2030.