This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. The specific problem is: Likely more organized to weave US generation classification with non-US technological analogues, as done on the Russian Wikipedia page.(October 2021) |
A night-vision device (NVD), also known as a night optical/observation device (NOD) or night-vision goggle (NVG), is an optoelectronic device that allows visualization of images in low levels of light, improving the user's night vision. The device enhances ambient visible light and converts near-infrared light into visible light which can be seen by the user; this is known as I2 (image intensification). By comparison, viewing of infrared thermal radiation is referred to as thermal imaging and operates in a different section of the infrared spectrum. A night vision device usually consists of an image intensifier tube, a protective housing, and may have some type of mounting system. Many NVDs also include a protective sacrificial lens, mounted over the front lens (ie. objective lens) on NVDs to protect the latter from damage by environmental hazards, [1] and some can incorporate telescopic lenses. The image produced by an NVD is typically monochrome green, as green was considered to be the easiest color to look at for prolonged periods in the dark. [2] Night vision devices may be passive, relying solely on ambient light, or may be active, using an IR (infrared) illuminator to visualize the environment better.
Night vision devices can be handheld but many are head-mounted and attach to helmets. When used with firearms, an IR laser sight is often mounted to the user's weapon. The laser sight produces an infrared beam that is only visible through an NVD and aids with aiming. [3] Some night vision devices are specially made to be mounted to firearms. These can be used in conjunction with weapon sights like rifle scopes or can be used as standalone sights; some thermal weapon sights have been designed to provide similar capabilities. [4]
These devices were first used in World War II and came into wide use during the Vietnam War. [5] The technology has evolved greatly since its introduction, leading to several "generations" [6] of night-vision equipment with performance increases and price reductions. Consequently, though they are commonly used by the military and law enforcement agencies, night vision devices are available to civilian users for a wide range of applications including aviation, driving, demining, etc. [7]
Early night vision technology used prior to the end of World War II has been described as Generation 0. [5]
In 1929 Hungarian physicist Kálmán Tihanyi invented an infrared-sensitive electronic television camera for anti-aircraft defense in the UK. [8]
Night-vision devices were introduced in the German Army as early as 1939 and were used in World War II. AEG started developing the first devices in 1935. In mid-1943, the German Army began the first tests with infrared night-vision devices and telescopic rangefinders mounted on Panther tanks. Two different arrangements were constructed and used on Panther tanks. The Sperber FG 1250 ("Sparrow Hawk"), with a range of up to 600 m, had a 30 cm infrared searchlight and an image converter operated by the tank commander.
From late 1944 to March 1945 the German military conducted successful tests of FG 1250 sets mounted on Panther Ausf. G tanks (and other variants). Before World War II ended in 1945, approximately 50 (or 63) Panthers had been equipped with the FG 1250 and saw combat on both the Eastern and Western Fronts. The "Vampir" man-portable system for infantry was used with StG 44 assault rifles. [9]
Parallel development of night-vision systems occurred in the US. The M1 and M3 infrared night-sighting devices, also known as the "sniperscope" or "snooperscope", saw limited service with the US Army in World War II [10] and in the Korean War, to assist snipers. [5] These were active devices, using a large infrared light source to illuminate targets. Their image-intensifier tubes used an anode and an S-1 photocathode, made primarily of silver, cesium, and oxygen, and electrostatic inversion with electron acceleration was used to achieve gain. [11]
An experimental Soviet device called the PAU-2 was field-tested in 1942.
In 1938 the British Admiralty assumed responsibility for all British military infra-red research. They worked first with Philips until the fall of the Netherlands, then with Philips' UK subsidiary Radio Transmission Equipment Ltd., and finally with EMI, who in early 1941 provided the compact lightweight image converter tubes required. By July 1942 the British had produced a binocular apparatus called 'Design E'. This was bulky, needing an external power pack generating 7,000 volts, but saw limited use with amphibious vehicles of 79th Armoured Division in the 1945 crossing of the Rhine. Between May and June 1943, 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division trialled man-portable night vision sets, and the British later experimented with mounting the devices to Mark III and Mark II(S) Sten submachine guns. However, by January 1945 the British had only made seven infra-red receiver sets. Although some were sent to India and Australia for trials before the end of 1945, by the Korean War and Malayan Emergency the British were using night vision equipment supplied by the United States. [12]
Examples of early night vision equipment include:
After World War II, Vladimir K. Zworykin developed the first practical commercial night-vision device at Radio Corporation of America, intended for civilian use. Zworykin's idea came from a former radio-guided missile. [15] At that time, infrared was commonly called black light , a term later restricted to ultraviolet. Zworykin's invention was not a success due to its large size and high cost. [16]
First-generation passive devices developed and patented by the US Army in the 1960s, introduced during the Vietnam War, were an adaptation of earlier active GEN 0 technology and relied on ambient light instead of using an extra infrared light source. Using an S-20 photocathode, their image intensifiers produced a light amplification of around 1,000, [17] but they were quite bulky and required moonlight to function properly.
Examples:
Second-generation devices developed in the 1970s, featuring an improved image-intensifier tube using a micro-channel plate (MCP) [21] with an S-25 photocathode, [11] and resulted in a much brighter image, especially around the edges of the lens. This led to increased clarity in low ambient-light environments, such as moonless nights. Light amplification was around 20,000. [17] Image resolution and reliability were also improved.
Examples:
Later advances in GEN II technology brought the tactical characteristics of "GEN II+" devices (equipped with better optics, SUPERGEN tubes, improved resolution and better signal-to-noise ratios), though GEN II+ is not formally recognized by the NVESD. [24]
Third-generation night-vision systems, developed in the late 1980s, maintained the MCP from Gen II, but used a photocathode made with gallium arsenide, which further improved image resolution. Gallium arsenide photocathodes are primarily manufactured by L3Harris Technologies and Elbit Systems of America and image light from 500-900 nm. [25] In addition, the MCP is coated with an ion barrier film to increase tube life. However, the ion barrier causes fewer electrons to pass through, thus diminishing the improvement that the gallium-arsenide photocathode provides. Because of the ion barrier, the "halo" effect around bright spots or light sources is larger as well. Light amplification with these devices is improved to around 30,000–50,000. [17] Power consumption is higher than in GEN II tubes.
Examples:
Autogating (ATG) is a function which rapidly switches the power supply's voltage to the photocathode on and off. However, these switches are rapid enough that they are not detectable to the human eye and peak voltage supplied to the night vision device is maintained. [29] This achieves several purposes: first, it reduces the "duty cycle" (ie. the amount of time that the tube has power running through it) which increases the device's lifespan. [30] Second, autogating enhances the BSP (Bright-Source Protection), which is the built-in system that reduces the voltage supplied to the photocathode in response to ambient light levels. ABC (Automatic Brightness Control) is a similar function which modulates the amount of voltage supplied to the microchannel plate (rather than the photocathode) in response to ambient light. Together, BSP and ABC (alongside the autogating function) serve to prevent temporary blindness for the user and prevent damage to the tube when the night vision device is exposed to sudden bright sources of light, [29] like a muzzle flash or artificial lighting being switched on. [30] These modulation systems also help maintain a steady illumination level in the user's view which improves the ability to keep "eyes on target" in spite of temporary flashes of light. These functions are especially useful for pilots, soldiers in urban environments, and special operations forces who may be exposed to dynamic, rapidly changing light levels. [30] [31]
OMNI, or OMNIBUS, refers to a series of contracts through which the US Army purchased GEN III night vision devices. This started with OMNI I which procured AN/PVS-7A and AN/PVS-7B devices, then continued with OMNI II (1990), OMNI III (1992), OMNI IV (1996), OMNI V (1998), OMNI VI (2002), OMNI VII (2005), [32] OMNI VIII, and OMNI IX. [33]
However, OMNI is not a specification in and of itself. The performance of a particular GEN III OMNI device generally depends upon the tube which is used. For example, a GEN III OMNI III MX-10160A/AVS-6 tube will perform similarly to a GEN III OMNI VII MX-10160A/AVS-6 tube, even though the former was manufactured in ~1992 and the latter ~2005. [33] [34]
One particular technology, PINNACLE©, is often mentioned as well. It is a proprietary thin-film microchannel plate technology created by ITT (since combined with Exelis, acquired by Harris, then sold to Elbit Systems of America) that was included in the OMNI VII contract. The thin-film improves performance. [34]
That being said, GEN III OMNI V–IX devices developed in the 2000s and onward can differ from standard GEN III and earlier GEN III OMNI I-IV devices in one or both of two important ways:
While the consumer market sometimes classifies this type of system as generation 4, the United States military describes these systems as generation 3 autogated tubes (GEN III OMNI V-IX). Moreover, as autogating power supplies can now be added to any previous generation of night-vision devices, "autogating" capability does not automatically class the devices as belonging to a particular OMNI classification. Any postnominals appearing after a generation type (i.e., Gen II+, Gen III+) do not change the generation type of the device, but instead indicate improvement(s) over the original specification's requirements. [37]
Examples:
Figure of merit (FoM) is a number which gives a quantitative measure of a night vision device's effectiveness and clarity. It is calculated using the number of line pairs per millimeter which a user can detect while using the device multiplied by the image intensifier's signal-to-noise ratio. [39] [33] [40]
In the late 1990s, innovations in photocathode technology significantly increased the signal-to-noise ratio, with newly developed tubes starting to surpass the performance of standard Gen 3 tubes.
By 2001, the United States federal government concluded that a tube's "generation" was not a determinant factor of a tube's global performance, making the term "generation" irrelevant in determining the performance of an image-intensifier tube, and therefore eliminated the term as a basis of export regulations.
Though image-intensification technology employed by different manufacturers varies, from the tactical point of view, a night-vision system is an optical device that enables vision in conditions of low light. The US government itself has recognized the fact that the technology itself makes little difference, as long as an operator can see clearly at night. Consequently, the United States bases export regulations not on the generation, but on the figure of merit.
ITAR regulations specify that US-made tubes with a FOM greater than 1400 are not exportable outside the US; however, the Defense Technology Security Administration (DTSA) can waive that policy on a case-by-case basis.
Fusion night vision is a newer advance in night vision technology which combines I² (image intensification) with thermal imaging, which functions in the medium (MWIR 3-5 µm) and/or long (LWIR 8-14 µm) wavelength range. [41] Initial models appeared in the 2000s and progressed in the 2010s. [32] Some devices are dedicated fusion devices while others are clip-on thermal imagers which can add a thermal overlay to standard I² night vision devices. [42] Fusion technologies combines the strengths of traditional I², which is excellent for navigation and discernment of fine details, with the strengths of thermal imaging, which excels in spotting the heat signatures of targets. Fusion systems have offered a number of different imaging modes including "fused" night vision with thermal overlay, night vision only, thermal only, and various special fusion modes like outline (which outlines objects that have thermal signatures) or "decamouflage", which highlights all objects that are of near-human temperatures. Fusion devices do struggle with weight and power usage and are often heavier and have shorter run times than contemporary I²-only devices. [43]
Aside from fusion of I² and thermal imaging within a single device, some users have tried using an I² device over one eye and a thermal device over the other eye, relying on the human visual system to provide a binocular combined view of the two. Some, but not all, thermal imaging systems can also be viewed through a night vision device (ie. lining up the thermal imager in front of the I² night vision device) to produce a form of fusion vision. [42] [44]
Examples:
Out of Band (OOB) refers to night vision technologies which operate outside of the 500-900 nm NIR (near infrared) range that traditional Gen III gallium arsenide tubes detect. Imaging outside the usual spectrum is possible with dedicated OOB image intensifier tubes or with clip-on devices. Two examples include Photonis' 4G HyMa (Hybrid Multi-Alkali) image intensifier tubes (bandwidth of 350-1100 nm, from near UV to IR) and Safran Optics 1's AN/PAS-34 E-COSI (Enhanced Clip-On SWIR Imager), which clips onto standard night vision devices and provides an overlay (in the 900-1700 nm range), respectively. [45]
OOB provides several advantages. First, OOB imaging makes better use of ambient light; while a standard Gen III device can only intensify light in the 500-900 nm NIR range, an OOB device also intensifies any UV light or SWIR light in the environment. As a result, an OOB device might be able to see more on a starlit night than a standard GEN III device could. Second, OOB imaging can help JTACs and other FACs when marking targets with a laser designator. Many laser designators use 1064nm light, which is barely visible to standard Gen III devices, so ground personnel may need to use a separate "see-spot" device to visually confirm that the designator's targeting laser is on target. OOB night vision devices, however, can easily image the 1064nm range. [25] [46]
Third, OOB light is not visible to most commercially available night vision devices. Despite ITAR restrictions, night vision technologies have proliferated among peer and near-peer countries and have also made their way into terrorist hands. For example, there has been documented use of night vision equipment by the Taliban Red Unit. [47] As a result, if friendly forces are using night vision equipment like IR illuminators, IR strobes, IR lasers, etc. then hostile forces using night vision equipment could spot them as well. OOB strobes, illuminators, and lasers, on the other hand, are easily visible when using OOB night vision but much more difficult to spot with current Gen III night vision equipment as they appear faintly if at all (depending on wavelength and intensity). [48] [49]
Additionally, depending on the wavelengths covered by an OOB imaging device, users might be able to observe the lasers used in laser rangefinders as they often operate in the 1550nm range. [50]
Examples (ground personnel, helmet-mounted imagers):
Examples (ground personnel, weapon-mounted lasers):
Night vision devices, whether monocular or binocular, typically have a limited field of view (FoV); the commonly used AN/PVS-14 has a FoV of 40° [65] which is rather less than the 95° monocular horizontal FoV and 190° binocular horizontal FoV that humans possess. [66] Due to the limited FoV, users must visually scan about to fully check their surroundings, which is a time consuming process. This limitation is particularly evident when using night vision devices for flying, driving, or CQB where split second decisions must be made. Because of these limitations, many SF/SOF operators preferred to use white light rather than night vision when conducting CQB. [67] As a result, much time and effort has gone into research to develop a wider FoV solution for night vision devices. As of 2021, there were three primary methods for increasing peripheral vision in night vision devices (each with their own advantages and disadvantages):
Panoramic night vision goggles (PNVG) increase field of view by increasing the number of sensors: if tubes are generally limited to 40°, then one can add more tubes to increase peripheral vision. This solution works well and does not compromise device performance or visual clarity but comes at the cost of size, weight, power requirements, and complexity. [68] A well-known set of peripheral NVGs is the GPNVG-18 (Ground Peripheral Night Vision Goggle), which was used in the raid in Abbottabad that killed Osama bin Laden. [69] These goggles, and the aviation AN/AVS-10 PNVG from which they were derived, offer a 97° FoV. [67]
Foveated night vision (F-NVG) uses specialized WFoV optics to increase the field of view through a night vision intensifier tube. The fovea refers to the part of the retina which is responsible for central vision. These night vision devices have users still look "straight through" the tubes so light passing through the center of the tube falls on the foveal retina, as is the case with traditional binocular NVGs. While these devices increase FoV, it comes at the price of image quality and edge distortions. [68] A US Naval contract for US$47.6 million was awarded to Kent Optronics to retrofit AN/PVS-15 units with WFoV optics that expanded them to 80° FoV with less than 4% distortion. [70] [71] [72]
Diverging image tube (DIT) night vision increases FoV by positioning the night vision tubes so they are no longer parallel but are angled slightly outward. This increases peripheral FoV but causes distortion and reduced image quality. Unfortunately, optical clarity is best when looking through the center of an image intensifier tube. With DIT, users are no longer looking "straight through" the center of the tubes (which provides the clearest images) and light passing through the center of the tubes no longer falls on the fovea (the area of clearest vision). The AN/PVS-25 was one such example of DIT night vision from the late 2000s. [68] The WFoV BNVD is a variant of the AN/PVS-31A which incorporates both F-NVG and DIT-NVG concepts: the foveal WFoV optics increase the FoV of each tube from 40° to 55°, while the slight angulation of the tubes positions them so there is a 40° overlap of binocular vision in the center and a total 70° bi-ocular FoV. With the performance of the modified AN/PVS-31A tubes used, the WFoV BNVD has a FoM of 2706 which is better than the FoM in both the GPNVG-18 and the standard AN/PVS-31A. [73] [68]
Examples:
Some night vision devices, including several of the ENVG (AN/PSQ-20) models, are "digital". Introduced in the late 2000s, these allow electronic transmission of the device's night vision view, though this often comes at the price of size, weight, power usage. [32]
Advancements in high-sensitivity digital camera technology has made it possible to produce NVGs that use a camera-display pair instead of an image intensifier. At the low end of the market, these devices can offer Gen-1-equivalent quality at a lower cost. [75] At the higher end, SiOnyx has produced digital color NVGs. The "Opsin" of 2022 has a form factor and helmet weight similar to that of an AN/PVS-14, but requires a separate battery pack with a shorter battery life and remains inferior in sensitivity. [76] Being a camera-based design, it can however tolerate bright light and process a wider range of wavelengths. [77]
Ceramic Optical Ruggedized Engine (CORE) is a technology which was first shown at the 2012 SHOT Show in Las Vegas, NV by Armasight. [78] CORE produces a higher-performance Gen 1 tubes. The main difference between CORE tubes and standard Gen 1 tubes is introduction of a ceramic plate instead of a glass one. This plate is produced from specially formulated ceramic and metal alloys. Edge distortion is improved, photo sensitivity is increased, and the resolution can be as high as 60 lp/mm. CORE is still considered[ by whom? ] Gen 1, as it does not utilize a microchannel plate.
Scientists at the University of Michigan have developed a contact lens that can act as a night-vision device. The lens has a thin strip of graphene between layers of glass that reacts to photons to make dark images look brighter. Current prototypes only absorb 2.3% of light, so the percentage of light pickup has to rise before the lens can be viable. The graphene technology can be expanded into other uses, like car windshields, to improve night-driving. The US. Army is interested in the technology to potentially replace night-vision goggles. [79]
The Sensor and Electron Devices Directorate (SEDD) of the US Army Research Laboratory developed quantum-well infrared detector (QWID) technology. This technology's epitaxial layers, which result in diode formation, compose a gallium arsenide or aluminum gallium arsenide system (GaAs or AlGaAs). It is particularly sensitive to infrared waves that are mid-long lengths. The Corrugated QWIP (CQWIP) broadens detection capacity by using a resonance superstructure to orient more of the electric field parallel, so that it can be absorbed. Although cryogenic cooling between 77 K and 85 K is required, QWID technology is considered[ by whom? ] for constant surveillance viewing due to its claimed low cost and uniformity in materials. [80]
Materials from the II–VI compounds, such as HgCdTe, are used for high-performing infrared light-sensing cameras. In 2017 the US Army Research Labs in collaboration with Stony Brook University developed an alternative within the III–V family of compounds. InAsSb, a III–V compound, is commonly used commercially for opto-electronics in items such as DVDs and cell phones. Low cost and larger semiconductors frequently cause atomic spacing to decrease leading to size mismatch defects.[ clarify ] To counteract this possibility in implementing InAsSb, scientists added a graded layer with increased atomic spacing and an intermediate layer of the substrate GaAs to trap any potential defects. This technology was designed with night-time military operations in mind. [81]
This section is missing information about year of introduction and amplification factor for each model, so that a rough comparison with US generations can be made.(October 2021) |
The Soviet Union, and after 1991 the Russian Federation, have developed a range of night-vision devices. Models used after 1960 by the Russian/Soviet Army are designated 1PNxx (Russian:1ПНxx), where 1PN is the GRAU index of night-vision devices. The PN stands for pritsel nochnoy (Russian:прицел ночной), meaning "night sight", and the xx is the model number. Different models introduced around the same time use the same type of batteries and mechanism for mounting on the weapon. The multi-weapon models have replaceable elevation scales, with one scale for the ballistic arc of each supported weapon. The weapons supported include the AK family, sniper rifles, light machine guns and hand-held grenade launchers.
The Russian army has also contracted the development of and fielded a series of so-called counter-sniper night sights (Russian : Антиснайпер, romanized: Antisnayper). The counter-sniper night sight is an active system that uses laser pulses from a laser diode to detect reflections from the focal elements of enemy optical systems and estimate their range. The vendor claims that this system is unparalleled: [87]
Infrared is electromagnetic radiation (EMR) in the spectral band between microwaves and visible light. It is invisible to the human eye. IR is generally understood to encompass wavelengths from around 750 nm to 1000 μm.
Night vision is the ability to see in low-light conditions, either naturally with scotopic vision or through a night-vision device. Night vision requires both sufficient spectral range and sufficient intensity range. Humans have poor night vision compared to many animals such as cats, dogs, foxes and rabbits, in part because the human eye lacks a tapetum lucidum, tissue behind the retina that reflects light back through the retina thus increasing the light available to the photoreceptors.
A photocathode is a surface engineered to convert light (photons) into electrons using the photoelectric effect. Photocathodes are important in accelerator physics where they are utilised in a photoinjector to generate high brightness electron beams. Electron beams generated with photocathodes are commonly used for free electron lasers and for ultrafast electron diffraction. Photocathodes are also commonly used as the negatively charged electrode in a light detection device such as a photomultiplier, phototube and image intensifier.
An image intensifier or image intensifier tube is a vacuum tube device for increasing the intensity of available light in an optical system to allow use under low-light conditions, such as at night, to facilitate visual imaging of low-light processes, such as fluorescence of materials in X-rays or gamma rays, or for conversion of non-visible light sources, such as near-infrared or short wave infrared to visible. They operate by converting photons of light into electrons, amplifying the electrons, and then converting the amplified electrons back into photons for viewing. They are used in devices such as night-vision goggles.
A laser designator is a laser light source which is used to designate a target. Laser designators provide targeting for laser-guided bombs, missiles, or precision artillery munitions, such as the Paveway series of bombs, AGM-114 Hellfire, or the M712 Copperhead round, respectively.
Many ceramic materials, both glassy and crystalline, have found use as optically transparent materials in various forms from bulk solid-state components to high surface area forms such as thin films, coatings, and fibers. Such devices have found widespread use for various applications in the electro-optical field including: optical fibers for guided lightwave transmission, optical switches, laser amplifiers and lenses, hosts for solid-state lasers and optical window materials for gas lasers, and infrared (IR) heat seeking devices for missile guidance systems and IR night vision.
The Special Operations Peculiar MODification (SOPMOD) kit is an accessory system for the M4A1 carbine, CQBR, FN SCAR Mk 16/17, HK416 and other weapons used by United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) special forces units, though it is not specific to SOCOM. The kit allows US Special Operations Forces personnel to configure their weapons to individual preferences and customize for different mission requirements.
OmniVision Technologies Inc. is an American subsidiary of Chinese semiconductor device and mixed-signal integrated circuit design house Will Semiconductor. The company designs and develops digital imaging products for use in mobile phones, laptops, netbooks and webcams, security and surveillance cameras, entertainment, automotive and medical imaging systems. Headquartered in Santa Clara, California, OmniVision Technologies has offices in the US, Western Europe and Asia.
Teledyne FLIR LLC, formerly FLIR Systems Inc,, a subsidiary of Teledyne Technologies, specializes in the design and production of thermal imaging cameras and sensors. Its main customers are governments and in 2020, approximately 31% of its revenues were from the federal government of the United States and its agencies.
The AN/PVS-14 Monocular Night Vision Device (MNVD) is in widespread use by the United States Armed Forces as well as NATO allies around the world. It uses a third generation image intensifier tube, and is primarily manufactured by Litton Industries and Elbit Systems of America. It is often used 'hands free' using a head harness or attached to a combat helmet such as the PASGT, MICH TC-2000 Combat Helmet, Advanced Combat Helmet, Marine Lightweight Helmet or IHPS. It can also be used as a weapons night sight. In addition, it was part of the equipment fielded in the U.S. Army's Land Warrior program. Morovision Night Vision was the law enforcement distributor of the NEPVS-14 for ITT.
Infrared vision is the capability of biological or artificial systems to detect infrared radiation. The terms thermal vision and thermal imaging, are also commonly used in this context since infrared emissions from a body are directly related to their temperature: hotter objects emit more energy in the infrared spectrum than colder ones.
A helmet-mounted display (HMD) is a headworn device that uses displays and optics to project imagery and/or symbology to the eyes. It provides visual information to the user where head protection is required – most notably in military aircraft. The display-optics assembly can be attached to a helmet or integrated into the design of the helmet. An HMD provides the pilot with situation awareness, an enhanced image of the scene, and in military applications cue weapons systems, to the direction their head is pointing. Applications which allow cuing of weapon systems are referred to as helmet-mounted sight and display (HMSD) or helmet-mounted sights (HMS).
AN/PVS-4 is the U.S. military designation for a specification of the first second generation passive Night vision device.
The AN/PSQ-20 Enhanced Night Vision Goggle (ENVG) is a third-generation passive monocular night vision device developed for the United States Armed Forces by ITT Exelis. It fuses image-intensifying and thermal-imaging technologies, enabling vision in conditions with very little light. The two methods can be used simultaneously or individually. The ENVG was selected by the US Army's Program Executive Office Soldier as a supporting device for the Future Force Warrior program in 2004, and is intended to replace the older AN/PVS-7 and AN/PVS-14 systems. Although more expensive and heavier than previous models, US Special Forces began using the goggles in 2008 and the US Army's 10th Mountain Division began fielding the AN/PSQ-20 in 2009. Improvements to the goggles have been attempted to make them lighter, as well as enabling the transmission of digital images to and from the battlefield.
The AN/PVS-7 is a single tube biocular night vision device. Third-generation image intensifiers are able to be installed and are standard for military night vision. Most newer PVS-7 intensifier tubes are auto-gated to prevent image intensifier damage if exposed to intense light. The goggles have a built-in infrared Illuminator for low-light situations. They are waterproof and charged with nitrogen to prevent internal condensation while moving between extreme temperatures.
The AN/PVS-5 is a dual-tube night-vision goggle used for aviation and ground support. It uses second-generation image-intensifier tubes. The United States Army still has PVS-5 on supply but are very rarely used. The AN/PVS-5 is based on the SU-50 which was a first-generation night-vision goggle adapted by the United States Air Force in 1971. From 1972 until 1990 the AN/PVS-5 was the mainstay in US Army night vision for aviation. The AN/PVS-5C was not approved for flight because of its auto-gated feature causing the goggle to shut off in bright light. For ground troops the AN/PVS-5 was the sole night-vision goggle until the adaptation of the improved AN/PVS-7. Photographic evidence from Operation Eagle Claw shows US military personnel at Desert One in Iran using in the AN/PVS-5 NVGs.
The AN/PVS-17 Miniature Night Sight (MNS) is a compact, lightweight and high performance night vision weapon sight in wide use by the United States Special Forces and United States Marine Corps (USMC). The AN/PVS-17 is a Generation III Night Vision Device and uses the OMNI IV MX 10160 3rd generation image intensifier tube and can also be used as a handheld observation device. The designation AN/PVS translates to Army/Navy Portable Visual Search, according to Joint Electronics Type Designation System guidelines.
The AN/PSQ-42 Enhanced Night Vision Goggle-Binocular (ENVG-B) is a third-generation passive binocular night vision device developed for the United States Army by L3Harris. It combines dual tube image-intensifying (I²) and thermal-imaging technologies into a single goggle, enabling vision in low-light conditions. The two methods can be used individually or simultaneously in a fused mode. The ENVG-B is intended to be issued to the dismounted combat arms soldiers within the Army's Brigade combat teams (BCT), and so far over 10,000 have been issued to several BCT's within the 1st Infantry Division, 2nd Infantry Division, 25th Infantry Division, 82nd Airborne Division and 101st Airborne Division. The US Marine Corps has also purchased 3,100 ENVG-B units.
The Advanced Target Pointer / Illuminator / Aiming Light, ATPIALAN/PEQ-15 known colloquially as the "PEQ-15" [] produced by L3Harris ; is a multifunction IR Target Pointer & Illuminator, a.k.a. a Laser Aiming Module (LAM) for use as a rifle attachment, using a picatinny rail mounting system.