Night vision technology history

The ability to "own the night" will always be a tactical advantage. This brief timeline illuminates only a small part of the technology's past and unique evolution

Read this article in the LET: October digital edition.

Looking into the future: Expectations?

Further integration from cameras, goggles and scopes into other video systems and share the feed with multiple "users"
Night vision in color? A common request is to have black and white images versus the traditional green screen
Further introduction of ENVG fused night vision systems into law enforcement use
Moving the analong night vision tubes into the digital realm
Including tactical wireless technologies
Smaller, lighter, more powerful
Higher resolution
Develop a law enforcement equipment specification for night vision equipment to lower the cost

Generation 0 - active infrared, the first night vision systems employed special infrared "search-lights." They were large with filters to see the illumination. Easily detected, had limited range and worked poorly in bad weather or smoky conditions.
Generation 1 - passive infrared, used same image-intensifier tube as Gen. 0 but relied more on ambient light instead of the infrared "search-light," this technology was more covert
Generation 2 - image-intensifier tube improvements, higher resolution and reliability, light amplification: 20,000x
Generation 3, 3+ - improved resolution and performance over Gen. 2, light amplification: 30,000 to 50,000x

Editor's Note: There is no official Generation 4, but rather a Generation 3 - unfilmed technology.