Rockwell Collins and Lockheed Martin to Present a Dual Keynote Presentation at SMTA International 2018

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

The SMTA is pleased to announce Ron Heberlein, Rockwell Collins, and Tony “Brick” Wilson, Lockheed Martin, will keynote SMTA International the morning of Tuesday, October 16 with their presentation “The World’s Most Advanced Fighter Jet Helmet – from Development and Production to the Fight.”

The F-35 Lightning II is a 5th Generation fighter, combining advanced stealth with fighter speed and agility, fully fused sensor information displayed to the pilot through the Helmet Mounted Display (HMD), network-enabled operations and advanced sustainment.

Lockheed Martin is the prime contractor, continuing its 100-year history of aircraft research and design with the Lightning II. Rockwell Collins – ESA Vision Systems is the supplier of the HMD, the industry leader in development of helmet mounted display technology for the last 33 years. The Lockheed Martin F-35 program teams with more than 1,400 domestic suppliers in 46 states and Puerto Rico to produce thousands of components from highly sophisticated radar sensors to the aircraft's mid fuselage. This presentation will provide an overview of the development of the F-35 HMD, and how pilots use the unparalleled capabilities that the HMD provides.

Ron Heberlein is a Pr. Program Manager at Rockwell Collins. He has led the design and development of military Helmet Mounted Display products since 2016, and started his work on the F-35 Helmet Mounted display program in 2012 as the lead mechanical engineer. Ron has been involved with electronics design and opto-mechanical design since 2003 and has worked on Head-Up Displays, Enhanced Vision Sensors, and Helmet Mounted Displays for Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Gulfstream, Embraer, and Bombardier. Ron has a degree in Aerospace Engineering from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and holds patents in Heads-Up Display Alignment and Sensor Based Navigation Correction.

Tony "Brick" Wilson enlisted in the United States Navy in 1991 as a nuclear power technician and served aboard the fast attack submarine USS Boise (SSN 764). Wilson was selected for the Enlisted Commissioning Program where he graduated from Old Dominion University with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and earned his commission as an Ensign. Wilson’s operational military experience includes a combat tour in F/A-18Cs with VFA-87 where he deployed to the Mediterranean Sea and the Middle East in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and a department head tour flying F/A-18F with VFA-102 in the Far East. A graduate of the Air Force Institute of Technology with a M.S. in Aeronautical Engineering and the United States Naval Test Pilot School, Wilson started his test career as the F-35 ship suitability project officer at VX-23’s Integrated Test Force. In June, 2016, having completed 25 years in the Navy, Wilson transitioned to civilian life and joined Lockheed Martin as a test pilot where he supports both the F-16 and F-35 programs.

Taking place October 14-18, 2018 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois, the conference features 20 Professional Development Courses, 130 technical papers, and numerous complimentary offerings for engineers and professionals in the electronics manufacturing and assembly industry.

The early registration discount deadline is September 21, 2018.

About SMTA - A Global Association Working at a Local Level

The SMTA membership is an international network of professionals who build skills, share practical experience and develop solutions in electronic assembly technologies, including microsystems, emerging technologies, and related business operations.

For full details and to register for SMTA International, click here.