Military & Defence
Rugged displays for military and defence
On-board electronics, command systems and field equipment need displays that stay readable in full sun and at night, survive shock and extreme temperatures, and remain available for years. We help defence integrators select and adapt rugged display modules for their systems.
- operating range available
- -40…+85 °Coperating range available
- for sunlight readability and shock resistance
- Optical bondingfor sunlight readability and shock resistance
- support from technology selection to production
- Prototype → seriessupport from technology selection to production
Why it matters
Built for mission-critical use
Military and defence systems combine the hardest requirements of every other industry: the sunlight readability of outdoor equipment, the vibration of vehicles, the temperature range of aviation and the reliability expected of medical devices, often in a single unit. Many programs also require compatibility with night-vision equipment and strict control of electromagnetic emissions.
Displays for these systems are rarely off-the-shelf. They are built from industrial-grade panels with extended temperature ranges, optically bonded to strengthened cover glass, with touch tuned for gloves and controller electronics adapted to the host system. We support integrators through application analysis, concept, design, prototyping and testing to series supply.
Applications
Defence applications we support
Typical system types and their requirements. Most cards link to our display configurator with matching criteria already set.
Stationary and infrastructure systems
Command-and-control consoles, monitoring stations and fixed installations: larger displays with wide viewing angles, capacitive touch and long-term availability.
- 8″ and larger
- PCAP
- full viewing angle
- long lifecycle
On-board electronics
Displays in vehicles, vessels and aircraft: compact panels with a wide temperature range, optical bonding and dimming down to night-time levels.
- up to 10″
- PCAP or resistive
- wide dimming range
- optical bonding
Field equipment
Handheld and portable devices used outdoors: sunlight-readable TFTs with glove-ready touch and low power consumption.
- up to 15″
- sunlight-readable
- glove-ready touch
- low power
Communication systems
Radios and communication terminals: small OLED or monochrome displays that stay readable from -40 °C and draw little power.
- small formats
- OLED or LCM
- -40…+80 °C
- low power
Requirements
What a rugged display has to handle
Four requirements define nearly every defence display.
Sunlight and night
Readable in direct sun, with 1000–2000 cd/m² plus bonding and AR, and dimmable to very low levels at night. Where night-vision goggles are used, the backlight must be NVIS-compatible.
Extreme temperatures
Panels rated -30 to +80 °C or -40 to +85 °C, with heaters for fast cold starts where needed.
Shock and vibration
Optical bonding and rigid mounting keep the stack together under shock. Environmental tests often follow MIL-STD-810.
EMC
Displays and touch controllers must neither disturb other systems nor be disturbed by them. Programs typically specify MIL-STD-461.
Specification guide
How to specify a rugged display
Starting values for defence projects. Your program requirements take precedence.
| Parameter | Typical requirement | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Brightness | 1000–2000 cd/m² sunlight-readable, with a wide dimming range for night use | Day and night operation |
| Operating temperature | -30…+80 °C or -40…+85 °C | Deployment in any climate |
| Front | Optically bonded, strengthened glass; AR or AG; anti-shatter | Readability, impact and safety |
| Touch | PCAP or resistive, glove-ready; controller tuned for EMI | Gloves and electrically noisy platforms |
| Viewing angle | Full viewing angle | Several crew members read one screen |
| Night vision | NVIS-compatible backlight where required | Use with night-vision goggles |
| Lifecycle | Long-term availability and controlled changes | Programs run for many years |
What we adapt
What we adapt for defence projects
Our Solution Department builds the display stack around your system's requirements.
Optical bonding
Bonded glass-to-panel stacks for contrast in sunlight, no condensation and higher shock resistance.
Cover glass
Strengthened glass in the thickness your program needs, with AR, AG or anti-shatter treatment.
Touch and EMI tuning
Touch calibrated for gloves and moisture, with controllers set up to cope with electrical noise.
Electronics
Controller boards, signal conversion and cabling adapted to the host system.
Prototypes and testing
Samples and prototypes tested in conditions close to the final application before series production.
Our own LCD-TFT lines
Unisystem Lite, Core and Pro are LCD-TFT modules we control end to end, and an excellent starting point for further customization.
Meet the three lines- Pro
Our line for the harshest conditions: up to 2000 cd/m², a UV layer, 4 mm protective glass and optical bonding.
About Unisystem Pro
From our catalog
Rugged displays from our catalog
A selection matched to the applications above, updated automatically with our catalog.
Sunlight-readable rugged panelsLitemax
DLF1068-E
LCD-TFT display from Litemax Co.
- 10.4″
- 2000 cd/m²
- -30…+80 °C
- 800×600
Sunlight-readable rugged panelsWinstar
WF104GSWAMLNN0
Winstar 10.4" 1024x768 LCD-TFT display
- 10.4″
- 1000 cd/m²
- -30…+80 °C
- 1024×768
Optically bonded touch displaysRiverdi
RVT70HSDNWC00-B
Riverdi 7" 1024x600 LCD-TFT display
- 7″
- 850 cd/m²
- -20…+70 °C
- PCAP touch
Optically bonded touch displaysRiverdi
RVT50HQSNWC01-B
Riverdi 5" 800x480 LCD-TFT display
- 5″
- 850 cd/m²
- -20…+70 °C
- PCAP touch
Wide-temperature OLEDWinstar
WEF012864KLPP3N00000
Winstar Longlife OLED graphic display module
- 2.7″
- -40…+80 °C
- 128×64
Wide-temperature OLEDWinstar
WEN025664ALAP3N00000
Winstar OLED graphic display module
- 2.8″
- -40…+80 °C
- 256×64
Rugged monitorsLitemax
DLD1566-I
Industrial monitor from Litemax Co.
- 15.6″
- 1200 cd/m²
- -30…+70 °C
- 1920×1080
Rugged monitorsLitemax
DLD1568-I
Industrial monitor from Litemax Co.
- 15″
- 1600 cd/m²
- -30…+80 °C
- 1024×768
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Do you supply MIL-STD certified displays?
MIL-STD tests are performed on the complete system, as specified by your program. We help you select display modules and build-ups, such as an extended temperature range, optical bonding and strengthened glass, that give your system the best starting point for MIL-STD-810 and MIL-STD-461 testing.
What is optical bonding and why is it used in rugged displays?
Optical bonding fills the air gap between the cover glass and the LCD with an optically clear adhesive. It reduces internal reflections, so contrast in sunlight is higher, prevents condensation behind the glass and makes the whole stack more resistant to shock.
Can the display be used with night-vision goggles?
Night-vision compatibility requires a backlight that emits little near-infrared light and dims to very low levels, as described in MIL-STD-3009. Tell us your NVIS requirements and we will check which panels and backlight options can meet them.
Which displays work at -40 °C?
Monochrome OLEDs are commonly specified for -40 to +80 °C, and selected LCD-TFT panels for -40 to +85 °C. LCDs respond more slowly in deep cold, so fast-start applications may also need a heater in the stack.
Contact
Working on a defence program?
Share the requirements you can, and a display engineer will propose suitable modules and build-ups, with pricing and lead time. We typically respond within 1 business day.
What helps us answer quickly:
- Platform: vehicle, vessel, aircraft, fixed or handheld
- Screen size and resolution
- Temperature range and environmental tests
- Night-vision (NVIS) requirements
- Touch type and gloves
- Program volume and timeline
A rough idea is enough to start. If you do not know some of the values yet, leave them out and we will help you define them.
