AUSA, Washington DC: Having a thorough understanding of your surroundings is a task that has faced soldiers throughout time.
The importance of this has increased as the weapons and lethality of the battlefield have evolved. The ability to be able to continuously know and assess not only one’s own position and that of one’s opponent but also that of your companion soldiers is of critical importance. In addition, this awareness must be available in any light condition, day or night, and weather.
Meeting this challenge is the latest advancement by L3Harris embodied in its Enhanced Night Vision Goggle-Binocular (ENVG-B). This system is a major step in capability beyond legacy NVGs at a number of levels.
As Lynn Bollengier, vice president Integrated Vision Systems shared: “ENVG-B uses white phosphor image intensification in a binocular configuration that enhances the wearers depth perception as well as offering a superior resolution. In addition, it allows for wireless connection to the soldier’s individual thermal weapon sight with both images displayed in different colours.”
The approach permits a soldier to literally point and shoot even around corners. This wireless link also allows imagery from other external sources including video and symbology to be received and displayed.
The unit will link into the squad radio (currently the L3Harris PRC-153) permitting exchanges within the squad. At under 2.5lbs (1.14g) including its four AA batteries, the ENVG-B will also interface with the fire control sighting system proposed for the Next Generation Squad Weapons now being evaluated – with one of the two candidates being offered by L3Harris.
The company is presently under contract and is delivering 10,000 ENVG-Bs to the US Army through 2021.
