The U.S. Army has awarded BAE Systems $97 Million in Orders for Night Vision Goggles and Thermal Weapon Sights
BAE Systems will provide U.S. Army with new night vision goggles and thermal weapon sights for the ENVG III/FWS-I program, which together will enable soldiers to rapidly and covertly acquire targets in all weather and lighting conditions.
The company’s Enhanced Night Vision Goggle III and Family of Weapon Sight-Individual (ENVG III/FWS-I) provides dismounted soldiers with a solution that allows them to navigate and rapidly acquire and engage targets in all light levels and conditions.
With both units integrated, weapon sight imagery and aim point can instantly transmit into the goggle – for a tactical edge during close combat missions.
(By integrating night vision goggles and weapon-mounted thermal sights into one system, BAE Systems’ Enhanced Night Vision Goggle III and Family of Weapon Sight-Individual (ENVG III/FWS-I) solution makes darkness a tactical advantage for the dismounted soldier. Courtesy of BAE Systems and YouTube)
ENVG III/FWS-I System Features and Benefits Include:
- Rapid Target Acquisition (RTA) technology – Quickly locate and engage targets from any location without raising the weapon to the eye, keeping soldiers both safe and more lethal.
- 12-micron technology – Provides the sharpest image quality in a smaller and lighter package, allowing soldiers to identify and engage targets day or night, and in smoke, dust, haze, or fog.
- Intuitive design – Easily switch between modes of use with a touch of a button, improving situational awareness, and soldier confidence.
- Multiple modes – Image overlay, picture in picture and scope only view options tailored to meet the multi-environmental conditions today’s soldier encounters.
- Short-range wireless transmission – Enables multiple units to work in close proximity without interference and jamming.
- Long-lasting battery life – Extends mission time without adding to pack load.
The orders are part of a five-year contract for the Army’s Enhanced Night Vision Goggle III and Family of Weapon Sight-Individual (ENVG III/FWS-I) program.
“Aiming to provide the most technically advanced and lightweight solution possible, our goggles allow soldiers to quickly detect and engage targets for a tactical edge,” said Marc Casseres, director of Precision Guidance and Sensing Solutions at BAE Systems.
“When fully integrated with the FWS-I weapon sight, the combined solution provides superior imagery and a target acquisition capability that can greatly increase mission success and survivability.”
The BAE Systems-developed ENVG III/FWS-I solution features a Rapid Target Acquisition (RTA) Module to greatly reduce target engagement time.
The innovative RTA solution uses a wireless connection to transmit the weapon sight’s aim point and surrounding imagery directly into the soldier’s goggle.
This enables soldiers to quickly locate and engage targets from any carry position, without needing to shoulder the weapon, and allows soldiers to accurately engage targets while still maintaining full cover for increased survivability.
Integrated Weapon Sight and Goggle
- Unlike other systems, the company’s solution eliminates the need to switch between night vision goggles and weapon-mounted thermal sights when identifying or engaging threats.
- Comprised of two devices – the ENVG III night vision goggles and FWS-I thermal weapon sight – the solution wirelessly integrates both elements into a single system.
- By connecting these devices, soldiers can quickly acquire and engage targets with no delay.
Small and light
- Both devices have been optimized to minimize size and weight, making it one of the most compact and capable integrated targeting units on the market.
- By cutting the optic size in half, BAE Systems allow dismounted warfighters to easily maneuver by reducing the weight they need to carry into combat.
Low power
- Both the ENVG III and FWS-I are optimized for minimal power consumption, reducing extra weight as a result of battery loads.
Easy to operate
- The intuitive user interface is easy to use, allowing operators to switch between modes at the push of a button.
- The system provides picture-in-picture and scope-only views for a multitude of ways to engage targets.
