Kopin Secures Follow-On Orders for Joint Strike Fighter

Kopin ® Corporation (NASDAQ: KOPN), the largest U.S. manufacturer of display systems for mobile consumer and military applications, today announced it has received $1.8M in follow-on production orders for high brightness SXGA displays in support of the F-35 program. These orders, to be fulfilled over a fifteen-month period, support continued deliveries of the F-35 Helmet Mounted Display System (HMDS) by Rockwell Collins.

“These follow-on orders from Rockwell Collins support two initial production phases (LRIP 7 & 8) and are a testament to the quality, performance and reliability of our display products,” said President and Chief Executive Officer Dr. John C. C. Fan. “As you would expect, the system requirements for such a helmet are very demanding and Kopin’s SXGA, which is based on our new 8 inch wafer process and NanoJet technology, was chosen to as an integral part of the F-35 HMDS.”

The F-35’s Helmet Mounted Display System provides pilots with unprecedented situational awareness. All the information pilots need to complete their missions – airspeed, heading, altitude, targeting information and warnings – is projected on the helmet’s visor, rather than on a traditional Heads-up Display. This approach greatly reduces the pilot’s workload and increases responsiveness. Additionally, the F-35’s Distributed Aperture System (DAS) streams real-time imagery from six infrared cameras mounted around the aircraft to the helmet, allowing pilots to “look through” the airframe.

“Our high brightness (>5,000fL) display is used during all operational conditions, including bright daytime conditions,” stated Bill Maffucci, the Company’s Vice President of Government Programs. “The proven performance and reliability and low life-cycle cost of our AMLCD products, especially in high brightness overlay applications are unsurpassed. We enjoy a strong relationship with Rockwell Collins and expect increased demand well beyond the current orders.”