The U.S. Army’s new Enhanced Night Vision Goggle-Binocular (ENVG-B) goggles will provide the Army’s close combat forces with “an extra capability to observe and maneuver in all weather conditions, through obscurants, during limited visibility, and under all lighting conditions,” as ACS Army stated.
The ENVG-B goggles display clear neon white outlines of people and artillery, detailed trees and brush, bright light blue figures, and tactical information. Soldier feedback was incorporated into the design and functions of the ENVG-B during events called Soldier Touchpoints.
The goggles unique features include:
- A dual tubed binocular system for improved situational awareness and depth perception;
- Higher resolution, white phosphor tubes instead of the traditional green phosphor to provide better contrast;
- A fused thermal imager for better target recognition in degraded visual environments (dust, smoke, zero illumination, subterranean, etc.);
- Inclusion of augmented reality aspects from the Nett Warrior display; and,.
- Wireless interconnectivity allowing Soldiers to accurately engage without shouldering the weapon and significantly reducing exposure to enemy fire.
The Army is also developing Integrated Augmented Vision System (IAVS) goggles, which will allow soldiers to see through walls, around corners, in the dark, and they display tactical data onto the soldier’s viewing screen.
“Up until this point IVAS has really been focused on the dismounted Soldiers and getting that fighting goggle right,” said Major Kevin Smith, C5ISR Night Vision and Electronic Sensors Direction (NVESD) Research and Development Coordinator and PM IVAS Platform Integration Directly Responsible Individual (DRI). “So in parallel, we in the Night Vision Electronic Sensors Directorate have been working to build-in applications to leverage both new and existing sensors on the vehicles to give the Soldier not just enhanced visual situational awareness, but also C2 [Command and Control] situational awareness while they’re inside of a platform or vehicle.”