The JHMCS is way ahead the Russian helmet (this one is barelly comparable with what the US Navy had in the 70′).

-First, the JHMCS is feed with data from the radar or data link (MIDS FDL on F 15 and MIDS LVT on others). This means that you can “see” the target from 10-15 Nmiles (the radar is on automatic lockon mode), while the guy with a Russian helmet had to actually have visual contact with you which means a much shorter range. Think this way: if you have very good eyes you can visually locate a target 5-7 km, but only in good weather and with the sun in your back; if you have the sun in your face, already you don’t see much, not to mention bad weather or night. You are also unaware if what you see is an ennemy or one of yours, if he is heading to you or run from you.

-With a Russain helmet you can fire upon one of your comrades. This is excluded with a JHMCS because when the radar illuminate the target, it automatically interogates it with the IFF

-The JHMCS acts as a helmet-mounted HUD — it shows (beside the mininum needed to pilot the plane, like artificial horizon, speed, altitude, heading) data about the target: a TD box, a square in the direction where the target would appear. All what you have to do is to put the steering dot in the TD box and you get a shot cue.

-There are some information about the target that help you to make the right decision: near the TD box will appear the target range , closure speed and aspect. This will help you — let’s say that you have a (confirmed as enemy) target 7 Nm away comminig towards you. In this situation you can fire. But if you have a target 7 Nm away and running from you, there is no chance you reach it with a Sidewinder, so you have to come closer, or to switch to an AMRAAM.

The JHMCS will work together with the 9X who is a real killer: the FPA snsor is awesome (it is not the ASRAAM one as many says, it is only based on ASRAM one but better) is sensitivity is hudreds times bigger than the senor of 9M, the tracking rate is unbelieveble (it scans with a speed of 800 dps and rotates at 1600 dps! The field of vue is 180 degree ( 120 degree for ASRAAM and Phyton IV, 90 degree for the older R 73, 120 degree for the new one). The meneuvrability is 80 G (60 G fro the Phyton IV, 45 G for the R 73)!
Also, the range (believed smaller compared with the two missiles mentioned, because the 9X has a 5 ” engine instead a larger 6″ of the ASRAAM and Phyton) has improved dramatically (see http://www.nxtbook.com/fx/books/raytheon/aviationweek-oct04/) to 16-20 miles thanks to reduced drag.
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However it can be fooled by both decoy dispensers and is not strictly all weather (would have trouble in fog for example).

Not quite. The FPA sensor is different. It is almost impossible to fooled with decoys, the only way would be to destroy the FPA with IR jammers (lasers). Also, the midwave FPA are less disturbed by bad weather (unlike long-wave, wich have longer range, but are next to useless on bad weather)

You are comparing a first part of eighties system (the russian helmet integrated in mig 29 and aa-11 archer) with a year 2004 system (aim-9x and america helmet). Why you think that russian has blocked their weapon development? There is no much to say after that.