L3Harris Technologies has begun first shipments of its new Enhanced Night Vision Goggle – Binocular (ENVG-B). The delivery is part of the first order under an “ENVG-B Directed Requirement Contract” from the US Army. The first 40 systems were handed over to the US Army in September 2019.
“The ENVG-B is the result of years of collaboration with the U.S. Army to deliver the most advanced night combat system ever fielded,” said Dana Mehnert, president, Communication Systems, L3Harris. “This is the first networked night vision system that brings combat images and data directly to the soldier’s eye, providing situational awareness beyond the capabilities of U.S. forces and our allies around the world.”
Following delivery of the first 40 units, L3Harris received two additional delivery orders totaling approximately $153 million for nearly 7,000 additional systems and associated logistical support. Along with the initial delivery order for $88 million, L3Harris has received orders to deliver just over 10,000 ENVG-B systems under the Directed Requirement Contract.
Infantrymen of the 2ndndBrigade Combat Team, 1ststInfantry Division were the first soldiers in the US Army to receive the new glasses. The US Army plans to procure a total of 108,251 systems and thus equip both the entire infantry and unspecified “close combat units”.
ENVG-B
The new glasses are a further development of the “Fusion-Goggle-Enhanced” glasses,which was recently purchased for the special forces of the Bundeswehr. The ENVG-B is a wireless, binocular night vision goggle with an integrated thermal imaging device from the night vision specialist L3Harris. The goggles combine two powerful 18mm third generation (white phosphorus) night vision tubes from L3Harris with a separate thermal imaging channel for image fusion and thermal target reconnaissance. The ENVG-B's binocular design gives soldiers greater depth perception and the thermal imaging sensor allows enemy heat signatures to be seen at night and in daylight through smoke, fog and other darkness on the battlefield. The system can be wirelessly combined with thermal imaging target devices mounted on handheld weapons and transmit the target image generated there directly into the eyepiece display of the ENVG-B - thus into the user's field of vision.
The ability of the goggles to project target images of the weapon into the soldier's field of vision allows the soldier to use the system for rapid target acquisition. This means that accurate shots can be taken from the hip, around corners or from behind cover if necessary.
The video illustrates the individual functions of the ENVG-B (Video: L3Harris)
The high-resolution display in combination with the integrated wireless “Personal Area Network” for soldiers also enables a connection to the US Army’s “Nett Warrior” using augmented reality algorithms. Location information (navigation data, position data, etc.) can also be shown on the display.
At AUSA 2019, L3Harris showed how the ENVG-B can be connected to a FLIR Black Hornet nanodrone, for example. The reconnaissance images generated by the drone can be transmitted as an image within an image directly into the field of vision of nearby soldiers.
Waldemar Geiger
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