Based on our conversation in the other thread I think it might be interesting to make the local guys here a bit knowledgeable with foreign night vision products, which can eventually find their way into the hands of not-so-good guys. Some guys here can become knowledgeable with the low end stuff if they buy a D300 with Gen2 SHP tube. The housing and optics are Belarus made and the tube is an European Gen2+ made by French/Dutch company Photonis.

I shall kick off with China. There are numerous NVG devices in the hands of Chinese special forces, the most prominent devices being listed below. The usual tube type is a licensed Photonis SuperGen or XD-4 tube which sport local designation CNT-3 and CNT-4.

CLNV WYJ Night vision goggles (other names WGT46-1 or WT212-1) produced by HiOptic




Russian Katod NVM monocular license produced in China. At least some of these could be equipped with Russian Gen3 tubes with 57-64 lp/mm resolution




New generation of NVGs include LUCIE-NVT low profile goggles, originally a French design (Thales Angenieux), as well as BIM4 low profile monocular with integrated head-up display, similar to AN/PVS-21. (Swiss designed by Leica Vectronix). LUCIE is a standard goggle in French, Austrian and German armed forces.









Edited to bold the title

I'll add a few that are manufactured in Iran
NVS-700
Shabanoor 1001
Night Driver Periscope.
Shabdiz SA230

Note: edited out faulty links.

Notice the mounting on the Shabanoor 1001 ? It's the same head-mount socket that the US military use for the PVS-7/14.

I believe a lot of this equipment was made under license from US companies, so it's probably exactly the same as US equipment.

David

India has a few problems with Night Vision - They have widely criticized their manufacturers over the past few years, but they do make Gen2 and Thermal devices.
I don't have pictures of the Gen2 devices, but they had a very poor reputation. Here's some of their thermal devices.

Beauti 0602

852 X 600 Pixels OLED Display - This is weapon mountable too and can take photos. Fairly modern.

BETI 0109 ( under license from Israel )


Bebti 0503


Though look closely - It's a binocular intended for patrolling on foot - I almost fell off my chair when I noticed.
"Lightweight" they claim.

David

As for Indian Night Vision, most of the stuff is made by BEL - Bharat Electronics. They even make their own licensed image intensifiers, mostly older Gen2 (XX1440, XX1450, XX1470) and SuperGen.

Standard Indian goggles are called PNVG 102A and are offered with a variety of magnified lens for handheld use under strange names like Sanjay Drishti.


Indian Commandos with PNVG 102A


Standard NV weapon sight is Bharat PNS Mk1 (Passive Night Sight)



Other designs include Bharat BENWS 9701 weapon sight or Bharat BENS 9304 monocular

Now to latest hi-tech from all over the world - thermal weapon sights

Piton (Python) family of sights made by Turkish company ASELSAN. The cores are seemingly based on European technology (384x288 uncooled VOx FPA)


ASELSAN Piton Boa LTWS


ASELSAN Piton HTWS on HK33 rifle


Polish thermal weapon sight CTS-1 by PCO corporation. The monocular on the last pic is 'Polish PVS-14' called PCO MU-3




More polish thermal weapon sights - this time by Etronika company - ZTOCS-1 ACRAB

Evil commie stuff includes Cyklon Shahin - first Russian TWS available on the civil market, sort of local ELCAN SpecterIR :)




Now two devices of CS6000 HTWS class.. Russian MilSpec NPZ 1PN116 heavy thermal weapon sight and Chinese HTWS with 640x480 uncooled sensor mounted on their HSAI LR2A 50cal sniper rifle

Pakistan makes it's NV under license at the Institute of Optronics (Govt Organisation) - It has trouble making sufficient supply for it's own troops.



TVS-5A, PVS-5A
DNVP-1A, PVS-4A (Gen3)
ANVG (From PVS-5A), NVB-4A/5A
PVS-7, D300 ( I think )




David.

looks like the nv cat is completely out of the bag

Israel subsidiary of Star Night Technologies, New Noga Light make a lot of Gen2 and Gen3 product and supply it to places such as India and Africa.

NL62


NL63


NL-61/M3


NL-67


NL74B


NL76B


NL-300 DAY/NIGHT scope


NL-90


NL-91



NL-92B


NL93-ANVIS




NL-93G


NL-50

Soviet designed NSPU 1PN34



Uses 3 gen 1 tubes in cascade for very good gain and has decent resolution to boot. Can be bought on ebay for less than $300.

FWIW, the IDF used to use the Akilah exclusively and switched to the Lior. My unit received our Lior scopes during our deployment on the border of Lebanon. Some people love them, some hate them compared to the Litton Akilahs.

The Lior is 3x, fixed focus, with a reticle similar to the IDF Trij reticle.

The Akilah has its own unique reticle, and is a 4x variable power optic. Both use AA batteries. The Akilah weighs in at twice the weight of the Lior!

Fantastic thread! The spec data is especially interesting. Thanks to all for posting this stuff!

Japanese PDF-14 Night Vision Scope.

The Beauti 0602 manufactured in India ( Uncooled thermal ) with a resolution of 852x600 would be considered high-def and is weapon mountable.

The technology required to produce electronics is a lot less complicated than the technology required to produce high-end vacuum devices with MCPs. There are already high resolution CCDs that have been made sensitive to SWIR/MWIR and even LWIR in the lab... In another decade, anyone who can manufacture a computer chip will be able to make thermal devices and most of this research is going on outside of the US.

David.

Made in Taiwan... It's not just what you find in the toy section anymore -though it certainly looks like it -

Jiun An Technology make stuff that looks almost like a toy version ripoff of US devices - Except it's comparable with Gen3 or XD4. PR of around 700 and up to 72 lp/mm/
NVS-14


That plastic looks nasty, yet for some reason it really appeals... The advertising slogan is good too - "Better than anything you can export from the US!" That's too funny, though sadly true.

The "Brand" is Raysun.... I suppose that got lost in the server translation too.




It still looks plastic, but it's probably quite effective.

There's some video, but it's a better example of incredible zoom - About 27x - It's a telescope designed to attach to NVDs.
Video - high zoom

There's a PVS-7 knockoff as well - NVS-7



NVS-III - Something for the 40YO kids...



This company makes security and police devices as well as military so despite the cheap plastic look, these are probably highly functional devices.

David

More Russian Equipment - Mainly as used by the Spetsnaz -

1PN93-4


1PN14K


PN16K


YUT-1M


PN-17K



I'm not sure how stable the images are - Let me know if they disappear.

David

UK

Ferranti Night Vision Goggles from the UK - ANVIS replacement.

The also have a "HUD" module to augment this information.


Dead links removed... 22/10/2010

I would bet that that scope is an American AN/PVS-14, note he is wearing a USMC issue light weight kevlar with MARPAT cover. US made helmet mount as well.

mrf2

I know it's a contentious subject, but Japanese technology in this area rivals the US. They use NV for research quite extensively and are more than capable of making very advanced tubes. Some of their 3rd generation tubes provide an order of magnitude more gain than the best available US tubes - with gain figures nearing a million ( Best US are about 100,000) and with a  >1500 uA/lm GaAs PC. They also make InGaAs tubes which can see laser designators and illuminators that are invisible to US NV devices - up to a full 300nm higher than Gen3 and that allow "Night Glow" to be utilised- ie, every night looks like full moon. They also make both filmless and filmed GaAs tubes.

Hamamatsu Tube Information

It could be a US tube in the picture, but given Japanese national pride I'd take a stab at it being a Hamamatsu. Then again, sometimes it's easier to just buy whatever's available.

I can't really base that on any evidence since I can't see what tube is in it - Though Last Lancer might actually know for certain.

David

More from China,

From the Shenzen Ronger factory ( Something is ronger with this model. It looks just like all the others... )


MHB - Seems kind of familiar, though this one has "Red" bits... Nice "distinguishing" feature.




However there are more original companies.

Note: Edited out broken links.

David

This thread exemplifies the importance of active IR discipline.

I think the picture above also highlights the need for weapons discipline... Obviously the soldier in the back has never seen pulp fiction.

But you're right about IR discipline. From a military perspective it's important to remember that an aiming laser is like tracer - it identifies your position to the enemy also. Using active IR is also going to be a problem inside dark buildings.

I don't think that the US encountered a lot of enemy equipped with Night Vision in recent conflicts though that's clearly not going to be the case much longer. Despite ITAR ( or maybe even because of it ) insurgents will eventually get hold of NV gear and will be able to use it as well.

I went up against a foe equipped with night vision equipment a long time ago on exercise. It wasn't a pleasant experience and highlighted to me the importance of such equipment on the modern battlefield. A single person went around while I was on Sentry duty and took several weapons from sleeping sentries. I was fortunate enough to be awake and I heard him. Peering into blackness, I knew he was only meters away and I was sure I was pointing my SLR right at him, but the only thing I saw in the three minutes this went on was the ignition flash of the flashbang just before it went off in my face ensuring that I couldn't see anything as they ran off. At least I didn't lose my rifle but I have no doubt he was toying with me before he got tired of it.

The problem is that there's not enough NV gear to go around. It's a critical piece of kit that you need now as much as you need your rifle. Even the US suffers from a lack of gear there but I think it was fairly widely deployed in Iraq even if soldiers were still using Gen2 at times.

In places like India, only around 10% of the armed forces have any night vision ( including very old stuff ) and some of their tanks can't drive at night at all. Give it three or four more years though and there will be a lot more Night Vision equipment available. Even if it is Gen2, there's not that much difference between modern Gen2 and Gen3 and it's possible that the US may one day even face an enemy with SWIR NVDs which then makes the US Gen3 useless.

David.

David, you are quite wrong this time.. These devices are Russian-made, only front lens look domestic.
The 'RaySun' is nothing else but a venerable 'Russian PVS-14', called Katod NVM. Is it also included in this thread in one of my responses.
The PVS-7 knockoff is Russian Katod ONV-2 goggle. It is also known under the name Alpha-1034.

Everything from 'Shenzen Ronger factory' you have listed is Russian, as well. Goggles and monos by Katod and Dipol, weapon sights by Dedal

Do you folks recognize this device? Fairly well known in the States, as well, called N-Vision Optics GT-14..

David, Hamamatsu are well known in the lab intensifier business. They don't do any MilSpec stuff yet. But they are well known for being able to make any tube you can order and pay. Thus, there already was some effort made to let them do tubes in slim-ANVIS configuration, these are called V6833P, they are Gen3 with fairly good specs. Of course, MilSpec tests require much more than just pure performance, whether this tube would be able to pass thru drop test or to withstand rifle recoil remains a mystery.

Here some images, tech data, as well as a shot made through the Hamamatsu V6833P.

Thanks for the info LL.

The Hamamatsu specs are already held to a "higher" standard than Milspec in some areas - The Limiting resolution (Min) for Hamamatsu is 5% MTF whereas for US Milspec it's 3% - That's quite a significant increase in performance for the Hamamatsu tube and would (should) translate to a higher resolution for the Hamamatsu if compared "apples for apples".

Also I doubt it would be a Weapons Grade tube in the 14 and you are correct that you can't just go and use a research grade tube for military purpose and expect that it will behave as well as a Milspec unit.

I thought the Chinese just manufactured the Russian units under "license" - It certainly looked a little rougher around the edges than I would expect from something made in Russia... But I'll defer to your knowledge there since you've seen a lot more of them than I have - I did track down the video output model on a russian site and it looks like it's a modified version of a standard russian device - Do you know if the Russian model has CCTV output as well?

David.

Australia... Our contribution to the world of night vision is, well, not much... We steal it all from the Yanks when they aren't looking while on exercise.

The Simrad KN 203.


The rail bit (Mount) is Australian... :)  Simrad Oprtronics make the rest though, but I reckon our Rail design is better than the US PVS-22 Rail design. ;)

That's out little bit to the world of NV - At least we're not ripping off Russian designs like the Chinese :)

Given how much out government spent on them, I'm guessing we have 30 or so tops... That's one sniper per 1000km of coastline. If it wasn't for the dropbears, we would have been invaded by boat people long ago.

David

Now to modern Russian NV weapon sights. The old 1PN34 NSPU posted earlier is an early 70s standard and is not very representative for this thread anymore.

1PN93 (PN-6K) family covers five models with various optics, they are mostly Gen3 now (roughly of OMNI III/OMNI IV standard). Just for clarification, the 1PN** nomenclature covers all Russian NV systems, something like AN/PVS-**, the PN-6K is manufacturer's name.

1PN93-1 for AK-74 type



1PN93-3 for SVD Dragunov



1PN93-4



1PN111 Gen3 weaponsight (PN-15K) - tough as nails, sort of 'Russian Raptor'


PN-17K Russian weaponsight, popular in Chinese Army as AHQ-17K, here mounted on their Type88 rifle


PN-18K Russian weaponsight


PN-19K Russian weaponsight

This thread HAS to be a tacky. WAAAY too much info here to lose.

If we already mentioned Russian NV devices, let me complete the picture by showing at least few hi-spec image intensifiers.
Russians have at least three big factories for the tubes and they produce a wide variety of types, it's almost impossible to cover them all since they have more formats that Americans do. It's sufficient to say, that next to direct drop-in replacements for MX-10160 and MX-10130 tubes they also have various versions of these with different contacts. Further types include slim tubes with straight output, shortened MX-10130s (only 22,5mm long instead of 29,4mm) or the in the US long abandoned fat-ANVIS types.

All these formats exist in both Gen2+ (S25) and Gen3 (GaAs) configurations, while each generation has three subtypes, A, B and S. It could roughly be compared to 'Select Alpha', 'Select Beta' and 'Special category'. Translated into numbers:

Gen3 GaAS
A type - 57 lp/mm, SNR 24, 1800 micA/lm, 150 mA/W
B type - 51 lp/mm, SNR 22, 1500 micA/lm, 180 mA/W
S type - 64 lp/mm, SNR 25, 1800 micA/lm, 180 mA/W

Gen2+ S25
A type - 57 lp/mm, SNR 22, 550 micA/lm, 35 mA/W
B type - 51 lp/mm, SNR 20, 500 micA/lm, 45 mA/W
S type - 64 lp/mm, SNR 24, 600 micA/lm, 50 mA/W

MTBF for all types is 10000 hours, max. EBI 0.25

Note that Russians, too, have export regulations, although not based on FOM but on cathode sensitivity. Everything over 350 micA/lm requires export permit.
Another export parameter is 'hole' diameter in the MCP, 12 micron is the boundary value, I think..

This is the same terminology that ITAR uses -  though the specification is about twice what ITAR allow -

From ITAR.

Note: Special Definition. For purposes of this subparagraph, second and third
generation image intensifier tubes are defined as having:

  A peak response within the 0.4 to 1.05 micron wavelength range and
incorporating a microchannel plate for electron image amplification having a
hole pitch (center-to-center spacing) of less than 25 microns, and having
either:

  (a) An S-20, S-25 or multialkali photocathode; or

  (b) A semiconductor photocathode;

I think they use the Micron measurement since it's absolute and was based on manufacture rather than lp/mm which can change depending on
the tube and would create an international market in "failed" tubes that were only just sub-par.

Australia's version of ITAR is even simpler... They just use "Microchannel Plate" as the differentiator.

David.

Great job you Two. Nice to see all these scopes from around the world. We don't get to see much of this here in the US.

so i guess there is going to be a difference between" hole diameter "  and "center-to-center spacing"  depending on the thickness of the bits between the holes - makes it dificult to compare the two -

I would love to see that, as well, Vic.

Now, let me continue with another more-than-newcomer into night vision stuff. Czech Republic.
Czechs feature only one major optic company, Meopta. Next to the well-known line of hunting scopes, Meopta makes the whole line of specialized military optics.
The tubes are DEP-Photonis, standard issue stuff from early 90s has Gen2+ tubes, newly issued things are exclusively XD-4 or XR5 (especially with weapon scopes)

Standard weapon scope is MEO50, which is a licensed version of French Thales/Sopelem OB50 scope. These exist in several versions depending on reticles used (for vz58 rifle, through SVD sharpshooter rifle, vz59 machine gun or RPG-7V)



Meopta ZN 6x represents own design of crew served weaponsight, used on heavy MGs or OP96 Falcon 50cal sniper rifles





Latest scope is called NV Mag3, it has first appeared in 2008 and I suspect it will be a replacement of the MEO50. I don't think these have been issued yet



Standard issue NV goggles are called KLARA, they are licensed version of French Sagem/Sopelem CLARA goggles. This is a rare design used in few countries.



MonoKLARA monocular, licensed version of French Sagem/Sopelem CLARA mono


Czech SOG operator in Afghanistan, with MEO58S night vision scope on the vz58


A photo of my friend in Czech Army, stationed in Kosovo. It shows a KLARA goggle, MEO58S and his personal AN/PVS-14


Czech Army operator with AN/PAS-13D LTWS and MonoKLARA night vision monocular


MonoKLARA and KLARA - size comparison. The tube in between is DEP XX2050 (XD-4)

 

I have been slowly changing out all my optics to Meopta.  Most people have never heard of them before, but for the money they are very hard to beat.  Great glass!  

A friend of mine who is a dealer was telling me they made alot of highend stuff for vehicle weapon systems overseas.  

Yes, they are doing lot of vehicle based systems and fire control systems, but also high-end medical stuff (X-Ray image intensifier tubes etc.)

Damn....



I guess we don't own the night anymore

That was to be expected, anyway. The opponents have already developed tanks, fighter aircraft, assault rifles, APVs and SAMs, it would be straight insane to think that they absolutely omitted night vision devices.

Now, let me continue with Hellenic night vision industry. For those less known in the history, we are talking about Greece.

Hellenic army is a traditional user of American hardware and they relied upon American devices, as well. Mostly AN/PVS-5, AN/PVS-7 goggles and AN/PVS-4 weapon sights.
The first attempts to produce their own stuff were scopes by HAI (Hellenic Aerospace Industry). The smaller PVS-4 based thing is called Polyphimos, the larger crew served WS has unknown designation




The primary company for NV devices in Greece today is Theon Sensors. They only make fully indigenous stuff, tubes are usually DEP XD-4, XR5 or US-made exportable stuff (FOM limited 1250/1600)

Theon NS-467C


Theon NS-685A crew served weapon sight (now discontinued)


Theon NS-685C crew served weapon sight


Theon NX-135B night vision attachment


Theon NX-135C night vision attachment


Theon NX-122A monocular - a very new model, introduced 2008, might soon become a standard NV mono of the Hellenic Army



Now few pics from the field

FN Minimi of Hellenic Army with Theon NS-685A crew served weapon sight mounted


EAS 40mm grenade launcher with Theon NS-685C crew served weapon sight


Greek sniper with M82A1 - the NV attachment module in use is Theon NX-135B

Another unexpected source of high quality night vision devices is Bulgaria. This ex-commie country has quickly gotten rid of reproducing legacy Soviet systems and proceeded to their own designs.

Opticoelectron Group is specialized for visible and infrared military lasers (ILTD-1/RILTD-1, PSR-IR) but they also got their own monocular design, the MNV-50



Optix Co. is the primary producer of night vision devices and they cover practically the whole spectrum, from NV monoculars up to thermal weapon sights

Optix Diana M-50 night vision monocular



Optix Diana night vision goggles



Optix Diana 6X long range night observation binoculars



Optix Diana TT infantry night vision biocular goggles


Optix Diana A aviators night vision goggles


Irish Air Corps pilot of AW139 utility helicopter with Diana A goggles


Optix SON-3 light night vision weapon sight



Optix ONS-4 night weapon sight


Optix ONS-4M night weapon sight - new version



Optix NVA-8 night vision attachment. The guy with the gun is Bulgarian president, if I am not mistaken.


Optix NVA-75 night vision attachment.


Optix OTS-50 LTWS thermal weapon sight



Optix IdentifieR series thermal weapon scopes (MTWS and HTWS class)


Optix IdentifieR 50 MTWS thermal weapon scope


Optix IdentifieR 100 HTWS thermal weapon scope

I'm all out of extra images to post... LL, you are still the "King" of NV :)

David.

Found some Australian night vision.

Believe it is called a Dave Industries PVS-514 with a US Gen 2

Seems like a nice piece of kit !

Engineered by our friends Down Under.

http://aunv.blackice.com.au/cgi-bin/nightvision/forum?index=projects&story=monocular

Nice work and job well done !