Soldiers engaged in military conflicts oversees face a wide spectrum of challenges and risks, completing operations on varied terrain, and often during unfavorable weather circumstances. Consequently, army requirements for tactical equipment are becoming increasingly stringent, to meet the increasing and varying needs of modern soldiers. Army requirements for soldiers must cover all basic needs, as well as operational needs. The gear and equipment created is increasingly specialized, as it is more focused on mission-specific adaptability. Read on to find out more about night vision goggles, and their position and importance in army requirements.


Night vision goggles have been used by national armies, military organizations and private armed forces for the past 50 years. They dramatically improved soldiers’ nighttime vision, and lead to increased maneuverability options during nocturnal military operations. Classical I2 –Image Intensified—goggles are best known for their green imagery, made iconic in Hollywood films. The image intensifier sensor represents the core of the night vision capability. What this sensor does is amplify ambient light, to produce the resulting green nocturnal image. The advent of night vision equipment drastically changed the face of modern warfare, and the organization of military operations.


Modern warfare realities have an effect on army requirements for soldiers as well. The need to have live access to imagery and tactical intelligence information directly and to be able to share this information is becoming a larger concern now than it has ever been in the past. To put it in more simple terms, modern operational requirements dictate that night vision goggles need do more than just allow soldiers to see in the dark. Command-center end users must also have live access to critical imagery and intelligence from the field, to better implement strategy modifications. Integrating live-feed analysis with different other sources like raw satellite feeds, soldiers can be warned about the dangers awaiting them inside a nearby compound, or behind a natural formation, such as a hill or mound.


In the past, the imaging systems available to soldiers included a number of different devices, to address a number of different needs. I2 devices were normally used in concert with IR—Thermal Imaging—devices. Thermal weapon sights and monoculars were also used alongside them, as they gave the soldier the capabilities to make successful shots at larger distances, while remaining safely camouflaged by trees, foliage or the like. Each of these systems played a crucial role in combat situations. However, adding two or three different imaging devices on top of the already heavy load that soldiers have to carry added significant weight and decreased the soldier’s maneuverability.


Enhanced night vision goggles were designed to counter these problems, and to provide soldiers with an all-in-one equipment solution for imagery requirements. The ENVG—Enhanced Night Vision Goggle—is the first device to successfully superpose two spectral abilities: the I2—operating in near infrared—and IR—long-wave thermal—into one piece of equipment. Superposing these two spectrums offers the modern solder improved target identification, situational and mobility awareness, essential on the battlefield. The ENVG also drastically improves vision in bad weather conditions, such as deep fog or artificial smoke. The ENVG represents a huge step forward in soldier modification efforts, and one can only be excited for the new equipment and technologies it will inspire in the future.


Army requirements http://www.wbresearch.com/soldiertechnologyeurope/knowledgeportal_new.aspx for soldiers’ equipment are constantly evolving to meet combat needs. Enhanced night vision goggles http://www.wbresearch.com/soldiertechnologyeurope/night-vision-goggles.aspx provide soldiers with an all-in-one solution for imagery needs.