HENSOLDT, THEON Sensors to Supply Binocular Night Vision Goggles to Belgium, Germany

The European defense procurement organization, OCCAR has contracted a consortium of HENSOLDT and THEON Sensors for the production of Binocular Night Vision Goggles (BNVG) under the Night Vision Capability Programme.

The contract includes 4,550 BNVGs for Belgium and 5,000 for the German Bundeswehr, as well as an option for another 20,000 BNVG for Germany. A full maintenance and repair service for up to 15 years is also included, as well as a series of accessories that will be delivered to the users.  Deliveries will start in 2021.

Offering THEON Sensors’ Mikron 16 mm BNVG, the consortium prevailed in an international open tender process.

Mikron is a spin-off from the well-known NYX family of THEON Sensors. Using 16 mm tubes, the size and most importantly the weight of this binocular are reduced by up to 20 per cent without any major reduction in performance. Mikron is already in operation with various European end users. This is the first major contract that THEON SENSORS receives, through the consortium with HENSOLDT, for this new state-of-the-art system.

With the combined production capacities in Wetzlar, Germany, and Athens, Greece, very large lot sizes can be produced in short time and on short notice. A transfer of technology from Athens to Wetzlar will enable HENSOLDT to not only assemble the BNVG locally but also to fulfil the contractual ILS obligations from a local site to Belgian Defence and the Bundeswehr, ensuring short ways and quick reaction times.