Navy Turns to Off-the-Shelf Tablet for CH-53E Panel Upgrade

The system is the first fully integrated, hard-mounted commercial tablet to be used as a primary mission display on a naval aircraft.

Kimberly Johnson

Thursday, February 08, 2024 at 04:27 PM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

The Navy is upgrading CH-53 Super Stallion helicopters by integrating off-the-shelf commercial tablets, dubbed Mission Data Extender (MDE), as primary mission displays.
This innovative solution, a first for a naval aircraft's primary display, aims to move towards open architecture and addresses reliability issues with aging legacy systems.
The MDE system provides enhanced mission capabilities, including Wi-Fi connectivity and seamless interoperability, at a significantly lower cost and faster implementation time compared to traditional upgrades.

See a mistake? Contact us.

The Navy is upgrading display panels in CH-53 Super Stallion heavy-lift helicopters with off-the-shelf tablets—a solution it says saves both time and money.

Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) began installing the system, dubbed Mission Data Extender (MDE), in December and said it represents the first fully integrated, hard-mounted commercial tablet to be used as a primary mission display on a naval aircraft.