One of Kent’s biggest employers has won a Ministry of Defence contract worth £40 million which will create 80 new jobs.

BAE Systems will use the funds to develop and manufacture “cutting edge” fighter pilot helmets at its site in Rochester for the RAF’s fleet of Typhoon fighter jets.

The new roles will be for highly-skilled engineers who will work on the Striker II® helmet which is considered one of the world’s most advanced helmets and displays.

Striker II displays data directly onto the pilot’s helmet visor, providing a view of the real world alongside mission-critical information right before their eyes.

Andrea Thompson, managing director for Europe and International, BAE Systems’ Air Sector, said the new helmets would give fighter pilots a “crucial advantage”.

“Striker II offers unrivalled situational awareness from the cockpit while helping to avoid sensory overload, which is vital in a high-tech and fast-paced environment,” she added.

“This contract will enable our electronics and combat air experts to work together to develop the helmet to further enhance the critical role Typhoon pilots play in the round-the-clock defence and security of our nation.”

KentOnline went inside the top-secret site last month where we tried out the helmet’s predecessor, Striker I®, using state-of-the-art flight simulators.

This came after the defence, aerospace and security giant announced it is increasing its Rochester workforce of 1,500 staff by up to 25% with 500 jobs up for grabs over the next five years.

The company plans on bringing in more than 200 new people by the end of this year alone.

This will be made up of 50 entry-level roles in finance, commercial, software and technical-based jobs.

Added to these will be 170 experienced professionals including hardware engineers, production and test technicians, project managers, quality assurance engineers and a variety of manufacturing positions.

Minister for Defence Procurement James Cartlidge (Con) MP said the development of the helmets would support hundreds of jobs.

He said: “Striker II helmets boast cutting-edge displays of data and are adaptable to the increasing demands of battlespaces.

“This investment will support the development of state-of-the-art equipment for future aviators.”