New U.S. Army Optic Technology Is A Game Changer

Army Master Sgt. Lashon Wilson poses for a photo with the ENVG-III and FWS-I during a media demo at Fort Belvoir, Virginia on July 27.Task & Purpose photo by James Clark  

Task & Purpose: I’m Pretty Sure The Army’s New Night-Vision Technology Is Black Magic  

Inside a dark shooting range at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, Army Master Sgt. Lashon Wilson stands behind a barrier, kitted out...  

Inside a dark shooting range at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, Army Master Sgt. Lashon Wilson stands behind a barrier, kitted out with body armor and an M4. In front of the M4’s optics is an advanced thermal sight, and affixed to his kevlar is a new set of night vision goggles. As Wilson looks behind him, he keeps his rifle pointed downrange. On an overhead flat screen, there’s a video feed showing Wilson’s field of view, and hovering in the center is a circular reticle showing a silhouette target — on the opposite side of the room.

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WNU Editor: This is impressive.

Improvements in Night Vision Will Be A Game Changer For The Military

A scene as seen through a standard AN/PVS-14, at left, versus one equipped with the CVA-14. ColorTAC

Warzone/The Drive: This Is What Color Night Vision Looks Like And It Stands To Be A Game Changer

The stereotypical green-tinged view one gets from existing night vision optics may soon be a thing of the past.

There is absolutely no debate that increasingly compact night vision optics and cameras have fundamentally changed the nature of warfare, as well as law enforcement and a host of other activities. But as revolutionary as these systems have been, they have historically been limited to producing monochrome imagery that can make it difficult to determine many important details at even modest ranges. In recent years, however, there have been significant developments in technology that makes it possible to see in the dark and in full color, making it easier to quickly identify items of interest and drastically increasing a user's overall situational awareness.

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WNU Editor: This is impressive.

Taliban Are Using Night Vision Goggles To Devastating Effect Against Afghan Security Officers

A Canadian soldier uses his night-vision goggles during a patrol in the Panjwai district of Kandahar province in southern Afghanistan on June 13, 2011. The Taliban are now using night-vision technology to launch attacks in the dark of night. Reuters/Baz Ratner

DW: Taliban night vision attacks in Kandahar, Farah kill dozens

Taliban attacks on checkpoints in the Afghan provinces of Kandahar and Farah have left dozens of security personnel dead. The night-time assaults coincide with a survey showing Afghans deeply worried about their safety.

Night vision technology had likely been used by the Taliban in two Monday night attacks on Afghan checkpoints, said a spokesman for the western province of Farah.

Nine Afghan National Army soldiers were killed along with three civilians, said Farah governor spokesman Naser Mehri.

"There are signs the Taliban may have used night vision technology to approach and surprise our forces," said Mehri, adding that the attackers had "suffered casualties" as they were repelled.

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More News On The Taliban Using Night Vision Goggles To Slaughter Afghan Security Officers

Taliban Kill Dozens of Afghan Police Officers in 2nd Night of Attacks -- New York Times
The Taliban Is Using Russian Night-Vision Goggles To Kill Afghan Soldiers -- Newsweek
The Taliban is using night-vision goggles to mount a wave of deadly attacks in Afghanistan -- Business Insider
Taliban kill at least 27 Afghan cops in overnight ambushes -- CBS/AP
Dozens of Afghan security forces killed in Taliban raids: officials -- AFP
Dozens Of Afghan Security Personnel Reported Killed In Taliban Attacks -- RFE
22 policemen killed after Taliban attack Afghan checkpoints -- International Business Times
Night Vision Goggle-Wearing Taliban Are Terrible News for Afghan and US Forces -- War Zone/The Drive

Integrating Night Vision/Thermal Targeting Goggles For U.S. Troops

BAE Systems

FOX News: High-tech military goggles combine night vision, thermal imaging

BAE Systems is developing state-of-the-art goggles for the U.S. Army that combine night vision and thermal imaging technology.

The Army has awarded the defense technology specialist a five-year contract worth up to $434 million for the system, which will give soldiers faster and more accurate targeting. The tech will work in all weather and lighting conditions, according to BAE.

A BAE spokesman told FoxNews.com that the high-tech goggles are expected to be in the hands of servicemembers in late 2016 or early 2017.

WNU Editor: One of the advantages that US forces have had in recent years is the ability to see the enemy at night. This advance makes it even harder for the enemy to hide.

More News On Better Night Vision/Thermal Targeting Goggles For U.S. Troops

Army orders integrated night vision/thermal targeting system for soldiers -- UPI
New military goggles combine nightvision and thermal imaging -- Endgadget
BAE Systems combines night vision goggles with thermal targeting -- Gizmag
BAE Systems lands smart goggle night vision scope contract -- Guns.com
BAE Systems Wins $434 Million US Army Enhanced Night Vision Goggles Contract -- Defense World

New Sensors For Night Targeting Becomes Available For U.S. Troops

Army To Equip Soldiers With New Sensors For Night Targeting -- National Defense

The wars of the past decade exposed weaknesses in Army technology for infantry troops. Close-combat equipment such as night vision goggles and weapon sights are bulky and drain batteries fast. In bad weather and darkness, soldiers want better visibility so they can correctly identify targets. They also want to be able to aim their weapons without exposing themselves to enemy fire.

The Army believes it has an answer: A wireless network that connects soldiers’ night vision goggles with weapon sights. The idea is that if a soldier can receive the image of the target directly on his night vision goggle, he doesn’t have to bring the weapon up to the eye. In a night firefight, having those extra seconds can make a huge difference, says Army Lt. Col. Timothy Fuller, product manager for soldier maneuver sensors at Fort Belvoir, Va.

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My Comment: This is a huge improvement over what U.S. soldiers are using right now. It will save time when firing .... and it probably minimize the number of rounds needed to take down the enemy.

Apache Helicopter Pilots Will Now Be Able To See Targets In Color

FOX 54 WZDX – Huntsville News, Weather and Sports

Lockheed Tech Lets U.S. Apache Helicopter Pilots Aim In Color - Reuters

(Reuters) - The U.S. Army has unveiled new technology that will for the first time allow AH-64 Apache helicopter pilots to see targeting and surveillance data in full, high-resolution color, instead of the fuzzy black and white images they get now.

An Army official said new sensors developed by Lockheed Martin Corp over the past four years could help avoid mistakes such as the 2007 attack by two U.S. Apache helicopters that killed 12 people in Baghdad, including two Reuters news staff, after they were mistaken for armed insurgents.

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Update #1: Team Apache Sensors Conducts Test Flight Of The Modernized Day Sensor Assembly On The AH-64E Apache Attack Helicopter -- Wall Street Journal
Update #2: New Technology Helps Apache Helicopter Pilots -- FOX News

My Comment: This development is long overdue.

Night Vision Contact Lenses May Become The Standard For Night Operations

Seeing in the dark: Navy Seals wear conventional goggles during an operation. A website has said that those involved in the mission to kill Osama Bin Laden wore night vision contact lenses

U.S. Navy Seal Team Who Killed Bin Laden May Have Used Night Vision Contact Lenses -- The Daily Mail

They sound like something Q branch would issue to James Bond ahead of a difficult assignment.

But this gadget was used to fight a very real target - the world's most wanted terrorist.

A website has reported that the team of U.S. Navy Seals used pairs of night vision contact lenses during their mission to kill Osama Bin Laden.

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My Comment: Because this technology's can significantly impact night operations, I suspect that this technology (if it exists) will not be available to the public for a long time.

More Advances On How The U.S. Military Will Own The Night

SA Photonics Night Vision System SA Photonics

New Night Vision Goggles Offer High-Res And Double The Field Of View -- Popular Science

And they're ultra-stylish, to boot.

Night vision goggles are, according to SA Photonics (a manufacturer of night vision goggles, naturally), a "key enabling technology" that has allowed the U.S. military to "own the night". SA Photonics has cleared some of the existing technological hurdles with their new High Resolution Night Vision System (or HRNVS--looks like someone could use some acronym assistance), which doubles the field of view of existing goggles, a real boon to pilots and others who need to see in the dark.

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My Comment: Forget about style .... if these advances increases night time capabilities, the soldiers will not care one bit.

The Future For Night Vision Goggles

Night Vision Once the domain of military and police, a cheap thin-film approach to night vision could give cell phones, eyeglasses, and car windshields the ability to see in the dark.

A Cheap, Thin Film Gives Portable Night Vision to Cell Phones and Eyeglasses -- Popular Science

What we regularly refer to as “night vision goggles” are actually less like goggles and more like heavy, bulky (and outrageously expensive) pieces of machinery. But DARPA funded research at the U. of Florida has adapted technology regularly found in flat-screen OLED televisions to create a thin film that turns any infrared signal into visible light, which could integrate cheap night vision tech into car windshields, cell phone cameras and even regular eyeglasses.

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My Comment: This type of research from Darpa makes sense.

No Needle In A Haystack Too Small For DARPA's Dream Goggles

Future Goggles Will DARPA's magic 3D goggles improve on this night vision spec? U.S. Army

From Popular Science:

Defense agency demands that metaphors become reality, stat.

DARPA's dreamers and brainiacs have set their sights on a new technology for the U.S. military -- high-tech binoculars or goggles that would supposedly have the ability to find the not-so-proverbial needle in a haystack. The Register pointed out the U.S. Department of Defense proposal issued last week.

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My Comment: My girlfriend now knows what I want for my birthday.

Bug Eye Gives Troops Better Night Vision

From Defense Talk:

LONDON, UK: Frontline troops will be able to see better in the dark using revolutionary new optical technology that’s modeled on the eye of a tiny parasitic fly.

Engineers at BAE Systems have developed the new ‘bug eye’ technology following several months of research examining the eye mechanisms of the Xenos peckii – a parasitic fly that lives on a wasp. The tiny bug has 50 separate lenses in each eye. Each lens produces an individual image, which are meshed together to form a single large panoramic image in its brain.

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My Comment: This is a small but significant improvement over existing night vision technology. It was almost 10 years ago that I had the chance to look through night vision goggles .... and I was impressed then .... I can only imagine now.