Wetzlar and Athens, 01 July 2021 – The multinational procurement organisation Organisation Conjointe de Cooperation en matière d’Armement (OCCAR) has contracted a consortium of HENSOLDT and THEON SENSORS for the production and delivery of Binocular Night Vision Goggles (BNVG) under the Night Vision Capability Programme. The first phase alone will amount to a high two-digit million euro value.

The contract includes 4,550 for Belgian Defence 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.

The consortium of HENSOLDT and THEON SENSORS is an ideal solution for the two states currently participating in the Night Vision Capability Programme, as both companies have proven track records in the field of image intensifier technology. 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.

Andreas Hülle, Managing Director HENSOLDT Optronics GmbH, stated “The successful cooperation between HENSOLDT and THEON SENSORS is a win-win situation for Belgium, Germany and our two companies. This is undoubtedly a great success in an extremely important and great competition. This also opens the doors for synergies and co-operation in other areas within Europe. As a proud supplier to the German Bundeswehr with our sights and scopes for the Future Soldier Programme IdZ, we are happy to extend our portfolio with Binocular Night Vision Goggles and to continue to supply the Belgian Defence.”

Christian Hadjminas, CEO of THEON SENSORS and President of EFA GROUP, added: “THEON SENSORS’ consortium with HENSOLDT is in line with the vision of a strong and joint European defence industry and we will continue to work towards its development and implementation. This large contract is the culmination of THEON SENSORS’ hard work and effort in the field of Night Vision. Given that it is the largest contract ever signed for night vision equipment in the European market and, in general, the largest direct order to a Greek defence industry, we believe that this contract is a turning point for the Greek defence industry and its potential, but also for the country itself. At the same time, this contract is not only an important turning point for us in our history, but also a starting point for evolving THEON SENSORS from being a leading company in man portable night vision systems and thermal products, to a company also for integrated systems and platforms that enable interoperability and real-time information exchange with speed and security. Systems that drastically improve flexibility in decision-making in conducting military operations. This will be achieved through THEON SENSORS’ consistent policy of building strategic alliances especially in Europe.”

OCCAR’s Night Vision Capability Programme offers the possibility for other EU and non-EU countries to join via an established process.

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