BAE Systems has delivered an Urgent Operational Requirement to the UK's Royal Air Force (RAF) to help Tornado pilots identify friendly forces.

The equipment is a high-tech helmet system which projects data in front of the pilot's eye allowing instant assessment of points of interest. The technology can save vital seconds during military operations.

The request to develop the Tornado Helmet Mounted Cueing System (HMCS) the RAF's Tornado GR4 fleet was received in April last year. Within months, engineers and technicians at BAE Systems had integrated the system onto the aircraft and it is now operational on the Tornado in Afghanistan.