Fighter pilots flying the deadly F-35 Lightning II jet have very special secret weapon - a $ 400,000 helmet that allows them to see through the plane . Six infrared cameras mounted around the aircraft allow its pilots to 'look through ' the air-frame , giving them a perfect 360 degree view of their surroundings and enemies . And all of the information they need to complete their mission - airspeed , altitude and even warnings systems - are projected straight onto the helmet 's visor rather than the traditional 'heads-up display ' . Scroll down for videos . High-tech : The F-35 jet 's $ 400,000 helmet ( pictured ) gives the pilot a 360 degree view around their aircraft and even allows them to see through its frame . Complex : The six infrared cameras placed around the plane means that when the pilot looks down , they see the world below them in their visor . Problems : Its staggering $ 400,000 price tag is millions more than the original budget because of problems in its development . Destructive : The F-35 Lightning II is considered one of the most complex pieces of weaponry ever and is programmed with 8 million lines of software code , compared to an F-22 Raptor 's 1.7 million . 'When the helmet 's tuned correctly to the pilot 's eyes , you almost step into this other world where all this information comes in , ' a test pilot for the Lockhead Martin , the plane 's prime contractor told the Washington Post . Al Norman added : 'You can look through the jet 's eyeballs to see the world as the jet sees the world . ' Like the jet - which is estimated to cost around $ 1.5trillion to develop over the next 50 years - the helmet is incredibly expensive . Each custom-made piece of high-tech headgear costs nearly half a million dollars , which is reportedly millions over its original budget due to development problems . Earlier versions of the helmet did not deal well with turbulence and there was a delay in the state-of-the-art video system which caused motion sickness , the Washington Post reports . There was also a green glow in the night vision function that obscured the pilots ' vision and in 2011 , the Pentagon allegedly hired BAE Systems to build a backup . The F-35 Lightning II has what is considered to be 'one of the most complicated weapons systems ever ' . Whereas a fighter jet like the F-22 Raptor is programmed with around 1.7 million lines of software code , the F-35 has up to a staggering 8 million . It comes in three versions , including one that is designed to take off and land on an aircraft carrier and another that lands vertically like a harrier jet . Trouble : Earlier versions of the helmet did not deal well with turbulence and there was a delay in the state-of-the-art video system which caused motion sickness . State-of-the-art : The information which would usually be on the 'heads-up display ' - airspeed , altitude and even warnings systems - is projected straight onto the helmet 's visor . Joint attack : The helmet is so advanced that it allows pilots to share information with other F-35 jets nearby . Military force : The U.S. government estimated the F-35 would cost around $ 1.5trillion to develop over the next 50 years . The helmet incredibly allows pilots to share information with other F-35 's near it but that function has also had teething problems , the program 's executive officer . Air Force Lt. Gen. Chris Bogdan said : 'If one or two jets are flying together , they have been able to share information seamlessly . 'But when there are four jets , communication problems emerge , which can 'create an inaccurate picture for the pilot . ' The Pentagon 's astonishing estimate for the lifetime cost an F-35 is up almost $ 120billion from about year ago . But it still plans to buy 2,443 of the warplanes that can evade radar detection and can reach well over supersonic speed . The new estimate includes maintenance costs of around $ 1.1trillion over the plane 's lifetime , the price of the aircraft itself which is $ 332billion and another $ 63.8billion for the engine . The fighter jet 's developers Lockhead Martin say 'the supersonic , multi-role F-35 represents a quantum leap ' in airborne warfare . Its 'advanced stealth ' allows it to fly over areas without being detected by sophisticated radar systems that other jets can not . Its constructors claim it can be used for a range of missions which include air-to-air combat , ground strikes , electronic attack and even reconnaissance because it is such a versatile machine . Its 'advanced electronic warfare ' function allow it to locate and track enemy forces and even jam their radars . The state-of-the-art helmet - which costs $ 400,000 - give the pilot real-time access to battle space information with 360-degree coverage of their surroundings . The F-35 ’ s stealth capabilities and ability to carry weapons inside it 's airframe mean it can engage its targets from long-range without being detected . Lockhead Martin says the F-35 'will enter the battlespace first , clearing the way ' for coalition forces . The company describes it as the 'quarterback ' for a joint strike force because it can share what it sees with other jets nearby , expanding the 'situational awareness across the entire network of aircraft ' .
Six infrared cameras around the cockpit give pilots a complete 360 degree view . Its price tag is millions over original budget due to development delays . state - of - the - art helmet allows pilot to share information with nearby F-35s . F-35 Lightning II one of the most complicated weapons systems ever built . equipped with over 8 million pages of code , four times more than F-22 .