In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Yet the earth was formless and empty. And God said, “Let there be light”.
Humanity has always struggled to see against the darkness. From cavemen huddled against a fire, the first oil lamps, to modern devices that illuminate out lives. Being able to see in the darkness reassures us, and gives us a sense of awareness that despite the hour – all can still be seen. While relatively new, the advent of night vision devices/goggles (NVDs or NVGs) are merely another step in the growth of technology to meet our innate desire to see through the night.
The best way of leading you along the path of NVDs is obviously to start at the beginning. While the technology of night vision continues to advance and grow, the principle of the devices themselves have been around for some time. Initially invented in 1929 by Hungarian physicist Kálmán Tihanyi who developed an infrared-sensitive camera for British anti-aircraft guns, night vision devices weren’t fielded until 1939 by the German Army for WWII. However its usage was extremely limited at the time given the devices themselves were hard to produce due to technology and manufacturing.
NVGs are (generally) defined by four sequential generations, each classified by the technology that brought the devices forward in their time.
- Gen 0: The earliest advent of night vision technology began in 1939 and lasted to the 1950s. These devices were based on image conversion (changing the perceived image from dark to light). They required an infrared (IR) light source (invisible to the naked eye) to provide illumination (typically mounted on or near the device). More often these were merely sensitive cameras that could see in the IR spectrum.
- Gen I: In the 1960s, Vietnam brought on AN/PVS-2 & AN/PVS-4 “Starlight Scope” and utilized a series of three connected image intensifier tubes to produce a usable image. However, these systems (and subsequent ones) were large and heavy. A Gen I NVD was defined as providing an image with a clear center, but with dimmed light or image distortion around the edges.
- Gen II: As technology continued to advance, by the 1970s Gen II NVDs and NVGs now utilized a microchannel plate (MCP) electron multiplier. The MCP allowed for improved performance in the device’s image, without the need for back-to-back tubes. Some older Gen I units could be refurbished using the Gen II technology. It was at this point night vision devices moved from the large “starlight scope” to handheld and helmet-mounted units, such as the AN/PVS-5.
- Gen III: As technology pressed into the 1980s, advancements in photocathode technology and ion-barrier film improved night vision devices to the point of improved low-light utility and extended unit life. At this point we saw the advent of the AN/PVS-7B and AN/PVS-14. Today many of the advancements in night vision technology continue to press Gen III units into higher areas of performance (Gen III+) and usage, such as with articulating tubes, but still draw upon the design of AN/PVS-14 elements.
In the next segment, we will explore the basic elements of night vision devices, including basic terminology needed when exploring the issue. However, if you would like to return to the Beginner’s Guide main post you can do so here.
Disclaimer: The purpose of this series is strictly informational, much like our COVID Chronicles, body armor, or gear guide, this series is not intended by High Ground to sway or convince the reader that one specific brand of night vision manufacturer is superior to all the others. In the end, this series is intended to provide the reader with a condensed and focused resource—nothing more. It is not to be considered definitive advice nor instruction.
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