Bonn, 5 July 2022 – The Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR) signed a contract amendment to an existing contract for binocular night vision goggles on behalf of Belgium and Germany with a Consortium consisting of HENSOLDT Optronics and THEON SENSORS. The contract amendment worth a mid-three-digit million amount activates the existing option of the supply of an additional 20.000 MIKRON Night Vision Goggles to the German Armed Forces while at the same time the delivery schedule shall be accelerated. The follow-up contract will be executed by the newly founded joint venture HENSOLDT Theon Night Vision.
The contract amendment furthermore covers various enhancements of MIKRON and changes to the system configuration as a result of the Operational Testing and Acceptance phase which was successfully passed by the end of February 2022.
At the signing of the contract in Bonn with Andreas Hülle, Head of the Optronics & Land Solutions Division and Managing Director of HENSOLDT Optronics, and Christian Hadjiminas, CEO of THEON SENSORS, the Director of OCCAR-EA Matteo Bisceglia stated: “The additional 20.000 Night Vision Googles (NVG) supply to the German Armed Forces proves the success and perspective of OCCAR’s program through the new joint venture company HENSOLDT Theon NightVision”.
Andreas Hülle said: “HENSOLDT and THEON have already worked together successfully in the past. Here, two European companies are working together in an exemplary way to equip the Belgian and German armed forces with state-of-the-art night vision equipment. This order is directly related to our growth strategy. Russia’s war against Ukraine shows how important networked high-performance sensor technology and optical systems are for equipping our armed forces in line with the times.”
Christian Hadjiminas, CEO of THEON SENSORS, added: “This new large contract amendment is a culmination of the successful cooperation between HENSOLDT Optronics and THEON SENSORS that opens doors for synergies and co-operation in other areas within Europe. The present growth is not only beneficial for the countries and companies involved, but also is strengthening the European industrial position in the worldwide context.”
The type of night vision goggles selected is the MIKRON, a Binocular Night Vision Google (BNVG) with two 16 mm residual light amplifier tubes and integrated infrared illuminator. They can be worn by the soldier either on the helmet or by means of a headgear system. The two monoculars can be folded away separately. MIKRON is powered by a single AA battery but can also be operated with an external battery pack should a longer operating time be required.
The accelerated delivery schedule of the enhanced MIKRON shall start with first deliveries this month, while the total current contractual quantity of 29.550 NVGs is planned to be concluded in the 3rd quarter of 2024. The increase in night vision capability for both programme participating states is critical in providing advanced equipment for their dismounted, airmobile and air assault soldiers as well as drivers of military vehicles.