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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'.

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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

See through the eyes of an F-35 fighter pilot with high tech...

'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.

F-35 test pilot reveals the advantages of the fighter helmet

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 F-35 LIGHTNING II: A 'QUANTUM LEAP' IN AIRBORNE WARFARE

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 cannot.

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'.