U.S. military chooses electro-optical image-intensifier tubes for night vision from Elbit and L3Harris
ABERDEEN, Md. – U.S. military logistics experts image-intensifier tubes for a variety of night-vision devices and weapons sights. They found their solutions from L3Harris Technologies and Elbit Systems of America.
Officials of the U.S. Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime segment in Aberdeen, Md., announced contracts Friday to the L3Harris Integrated Vision Solutions segment in Tempe, Ariz., and to the Elbit Systems of America Night Vision segment in Roanoke, Va., for MX-11769 image-intensifier tubes.
The contract to L3Harris is for $11.1 million, and the contract to Elbit is for $9.7 million. The electro-optical image-intensifier tube has a lifespan of 12,000 hours continuous use.
The MX-11769 is a third-generation 18-millimeter image intensifier for the AN/PVS-14 night-vision monocular and several weapon sights. It also is part of the U.S. Army Enhanced Night Vision Goggle-Binocular (ENVG-B).
The MX-11769 consists of a high-efficiency gallium arsenide (GaAs) photocathode bonded to a glass input window, a microchannel plate (MCP) current amplifier, and a P-43 phosphor screen deposited on non inverting fiber optic output window.
The photocathode is sensitive to low radiation levels of visible and near-infrared light.T he MX-11769 also has a variable-gain power supply that enables the user to adjust the tube gain or brightness in the field.
For more information contact L3Harris Integrated Vision Solutions online at www.l3harris.com/all-capabilities/integrated-vision-solutions, or Systems of America Night Vision at www.elbitamerica.com/night-vision.
John Keller | Editor-in-Chief
John Keller is the Editor-in-Chief, Military & Aerospace Electronics Magazine--provides extensive coverage and analysis of enabling electronics and optoelectronic technologies in military, space and commercial aviation applications. John has been a member of the Military & Aerospace Electronics staff since 1989 and chief editor since 1995.
