Spent some time with the folks from the O’Gara Company checking out the STS AN/PVS-21 LPNVG (Low Profile Night Vision Goggle), a rather impressive piece of technology. The obvious is of course its compactness, especially when compared to an AN/PVS-14.
The LPNVG is a dual channel I² night vision goggle. Its folded optic design permits a more compact form factor. The overall design, which includes proximity to the face, ensures the head’s center of gravity remains, as closely as possible, unchanged. The goggle uses a see-through beam combiner that allows the operator to see both intensified and unintesified views; making aggressive transitions from light to dark and dark to light seamless. An operator may be involved in a night operation where he aggressively transitions from a dark structure into an illuminated room, so the typical problems encountered with the AN/PVS-14, in that situation, are absent in the LPNVG. Part of its original design includes support for the installation of a refocus lens, and no extraneous mounting devices or adapters are required. The AN/PVS-21 includes IR illuminators for zero ambient light situations. STS included a heads up display (HUD) port; opening the door for sensor fusing capabilities.
I haven’t had the opportunity to take them for a spin, but intuition tells me that there’s a great deal to like here.
FOG HORN 