Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC), the global aerospace and national security company owned by Eren and Fatih Ozmen, said DVE technology already selected for U.S. military helicopters, can also reduce the risk of civil and commercial flight crashes, in cases where visibility is impeded due to weather and other conditions such as fog.

“Whether military or civilian, these precious lives matter,” said Eren Ozmen. “There is no greater tragedy than preventable loss of life, especially when the difference can be made through simple adoption of currently available technology.”

According to the U.S. Department of Defense, throughout Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, 58 percent of helicopter losses and 52 percent of fatalities occurred in conditions of degraded visibility due to fog, sandstorms, snow or more.

Similar risks are faced domestically by emergency responders, whose missions often require rescue and delivery and extraction of emergency personnel in low, limited visibility conditions.

“SNC saves lives of those who are on the front lines of our safety every day and DVE Solutions are a good example to protect them,” said Greg Cox, executive vice president of SNC’s Electronic and Information Systems (EIS) business area.

Degraded Visual Environment (DVE) is the term in the aviation community for conditions in which visibility is impeded by one or more factors.

Using multiple sensors, SNC’s DVE technology presents pilots with real-time, fused imagery which restores visual flight cues and pilot situational awareness.

SNC’s system capabilities also include terrain and obstacle detection and emergency inadvertent instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) recovery aid in mountainous terrain.

SNC’s DVE system architecture is modular and scales to support both helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft – allowing pilots to “own their environment” anywhere at any time.

SNC is currently under contract to produce DVE systems for several Department of Defense helicopters programs.

SNC also offers the expertise to modify aircraft with this equipment and certify them with an FAA, EASA or Military Type Certificate.