The Army is bolstering its night vision capabilities to increase the maneuverability and situational awareness of soldiers by improving upon a legacy system, according to service officials.
The third iteration of the enhanced night vision goggles — or ENVG — is slated for fielding between May and June 2018.
The goggles will help soldiers operate in multiple environments, while improving upon its predecessors by wirelessly linking the system to the Family of Weapon Sights-Individual, a device that can be mounted onto a rifle. DRS Technologies and BAE Systems are contractors for the program.
Lt. Col. Anthony Douglas, product manager for soldier maneuver sensors at program executive office soldier, said this connection allows the soldier to see what the rifle is pointing at through the goggles.
“If you’re under fire, you can maintain your position behind cover or a barrier,” he said. “You could … target what is around you without having to expose your body to hostile fire.” The first ENVG product was delivered in 2008 and the service began work on the third iteration in 2014, he noted.