Tech Talk

July 2005

Nighttime Field-of-View Doubles for Pilots

Edited by Robert H. Williams

The night just got a bit brighter for special operations crews. The 20 Block I panoramic night vision goggles offer pilots a 95-degree field of vision that compares to 40 degrees for standard devices. The wider view was achieved by employing four 16 mm image intensifier tubes as opposed to two 18 mm ones.

Another enhancement is an auto-gating feature that protects pilots of AC-130, MC-130 and other special operations aircraft from the sudden glare of flares or other blinding lights. The goggles were developed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.