L-3 Warrior Systems to upgrade Special Forces night-vision equipment with new image-intensifier tubes

CRANE, Ind., 5 March 2015. U.S. Navy night-vision experts will upgrade the AN/PVS-15 series of night-vision goggles and AN/PVS-18 series of night-vision monoculars to make them suitable for covert special forces operations.

Officials of the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Crane, Ind., announced a $9.9 million contract Monday to L-3 Warrior Systems in Tempe, Ariz., for high-performance image intensifier tube assemblies.

Navy electro-optics experts will use the L-3 image intensifier tubes in U.S. Special Operations Command AN/PVS-15 night-vision goggles and AN/PVS-18 night-vision monoculars.

The system’s screens will provide Special Operations forces with enhanced surveillance, identification, recognition, and detection in all light and weather conditions, especially where vision is limited or restricted due to obscured and low-level or no-light conditions.

The L-3 AN/PVS-15 night-vision goggles are compact and lightweight Gen III binoculars that can be handheld or helmet mounted to provide automatic brightness control and high light tube cut-off protection.

Related: Navy asks L-3 Warrior Systems to build night-vision goggles in $49.5 million contract

Suited for operations where depth perception is critical for mission performance such as controlling land vehicles and boats at high speeds, the goggles have an integrated infrared light-emitting diode that provides short range illumination allowing such activities as map reading.

The AN/PVS-15 night-vision goggles are submersible to 66 feet; offer a win-tubed design comparable to aviation systems; offer better depth perception than single-tube designs; are designed to operate during vehicle, assault and amphibious operations; have low-battery indicators in the eyepieces; and operate on one AA battery.

The AN/PVS-18 night-vision monocular can be used as a handheld pocket scope, right or left eye-mounted monocular, or a weapon sight when mounted with an IR laser aimer or other night-vision-compatible primary optic. The monocular an be combined with an SLR camera, CCTV, or camcorder system, and operates on one AA battery.

On this contract L-2 Warrior Systems will do the work in Tempe, Ariz., and should be finished by March 2020. For more information contact L-3 Warrior Systems online at www.insighttechnology.com, or the Naval Surface Warfare Center-Crane at www.navsea.navy.mil/nswc/crane.