Enhancing India's night fighting capabilities

Nov 21, 2023

By Amartya Sinha: On April 27, 2023, the Indian Air Force executed a daring night operation in Sudan which witnessed an IAF C-130J Super Hercules aircraft landing on an unprepared runway near Khartoum which didn't have any approach lights and navigational aids. The pilots used advanced infrared-based night vision goggles, thermal imagers and laser rangefinders for executing a successful landing under pitch dark conditions. A team of Garud commandos (who were also equipped with helmet-mounted night vision sights) quickly deboarded from the aircraft after landing and secured the runway. The commandos rescued hundreds of Indian nationals stuck in the area and quickly boarded the aircraft, thereby enabling a successful take-off at a very short notice.

In another instance on September 29, 2016, multiple special forces teams of the Indian Army parachute regiment crossed the Line of Control (LoC) and destroyed a number of terrorist camps located deep inside Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK). The elite troopers moved deep inside hostile territory under the guise of darkness, successfully evading landmines, enemy machinegun posts and snipers positioned atop observation towers, and took positions within a few hundred metres from the targets before strafing them with machinegun fire and rocket launcher fire and slaying a large number of jihadi Islamic terrorists. The entire operation, starting with the incursion and ending with the extraction of special forces commando teams from the target areas, lasted for just a matter of hours. A similar operation preceded the 2016 surgical strikes, when Indian shock troops moved deep beyond enemy lines under the cover of darkness on June 9, 2015 and eliminated dozens of NSCN-K insurgents in Myanmar.

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The operations in all these three scenarios witnessed the widespread use of night vision devices and thermal imagers. It is quite evident that night is the most suitable time for executing military operations on the contemporary 21st century battlefield. Rather than daytime battles, which can lead to large numbers of casualties, the cover of the darkness is the best camouflage for any professional army in the world. But military missions during the night require high precision and accurate and timely detection of mobile and stationary hostile targets. The challenge also lies in minimising civilian casualties and possible collateral damage during such operations. From fighter pilots and tank crews to ground infantrymen and special forces troopers, all active forces require helmet-mounted and hand-held Night Vision Devices (NVDs) and Thermal Imagers (TIs) as per situational and operational needs. With a number of integrated battle groups being raised on the western, northern and north-eastern borders with Pakistan and China, the strategic significance of developing and deploying such capabilities has increased manifold.

Tactical role of night vision capabilities

Night Vision Devices (NVD) are one of the prominent force-multipliers in the conventional and asymmetrical realms of the tactical level battlefield. Other than night warfare, NVDs also play a significant role during target engagements in low-light daytime conditions. Such equipment works on two different principles of thermal imaging and image enhancement. Thermal imaging functions in the upper region of the infrared spectrum as it captures the emissions by the target in this region, whereas image enhancement works by accumulating and amplifying miniscule amounts of light, including at the lower end of the infrared spectrum, so that it is possible to view the target. Normally, they are image enhancement products, which are commonly called NVDs. At the core of an NVD is an image intensifier tube, which collects and amplifies the visible and infrared light. The image intensifier tube is in fact the heart and soul of the device.

NVDs can be divided into three broad categories in terms of their functions and configurations-weapon sights, helmet-mounted/head-mounted goggles, and handheld/tripod-mounted devices for surveillance. However, based on the technology and performance characteristics, these are classified as first, second, third or fourth generation devices (based on the image intensifier tube used).

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The first commercial night vision device was developed by Dr Vladimir K Zworykin who worked for the Radio Corporation of America which was intended for civilian use. At that time, infrared was commonly called ‘black light’, a term later restricted to ultraviolet. It was not a success due to its size and cost. The first military NVDs were introduced by the Nazi German Army in 1939. And by mid-1943, the first tests of infrared night vision devices and telescopic rangefinders mounted on Panzer tanks were a reality. By the end of the Second World War, the German Army had equipped a number of its Panzer tanks with NVDs, which witnessed combat on both the Eastern and Western European fronts. The ‘Vampir’ man-portable system for infantrymen was developed by Nazi Germany and was effectively used with Sturmgewehr-44 assault rifles.

The United States of America too embarked on the development of night vision systems with the M-1 and M-3 infrared night sighting devices, (also known as the sniperscope or snooperscope), introduced by the US Army during the Second World War and thereafter used in the 1950-53 Korean war for assisting long-range snipers. The World War-2 Generation-1 NVDs utilised an IR (Infrared) illuminator which reflected the IR beam off the targets, which implies that those sights used an active infrared device. However, these NVDs subsequently started using passive IR with light enhancement from ambient light. These devices were at a disadvantage on moonless and cloudy nights. Examples of these devices are the ‘PNV-57E’ tanker goggles and the ‘AN/PVS-2'starlight scope. These devices had major drawbacks in terms of a high pitch when the device was on. However, the first generation NVDs are currently very popular in the civilian market due to their low costs and easy availability.

The second-generation devices had considerable improvements in the image intensifier tubes with the addition of the Micro-Channel Plate (MCP) and thus were able to display images in extreme low-light conditions. The images were brighter and the distortion was much less in this equipment. An example is the AN/ PVS-4 made by Optic Electronics Corporation of Dallas, USA. These devices are still in use with cells upgraded from a single 2.7 Volts Mercury battery to AA batteries in a number of countries.

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The Generation-2-plus NVDs provide much better resolution, signal to noise ratio (SNR) and a modulation transfer function. In the Generation-3 devices, currently in use by the US Army, the photo-cathode has been manufactured with a sensitive chemical-Gallium Arsenide, and the MCP has been coated with an Ion barrier film to increase the life of the image intensifier tube, providing the user with good to excellent low-light performance. But there is not much difference from the second generation NVDs. The ‘AN/PVS-7’ night vision goggles are a single tube device with third-generation image intensifiers.

The PVS-7 is protected from damage to the image intensifier by exposure to sudden intense light through autogating. It is extremely useful in fighting in urban environments, especially during counter-insurgency operations. Thousands of these devices are in service and are manufactured by companies like Northrop Grumman, ITT Industries and L3 Communications. These have been extensively used during the Second Gulf War and the US-Afghanistan war. These were subsequently replaced with an AN/PVS-14 Monocular Night Vision Device (MNVD). It is virtually and numerically the market leader in the current environment, the latest model of which operates for 40-plus hours on a single AA battery. These can also be used in hands-free mode by using a head-harness or by attaching it to combat helmets.

The latest in this generation is the Generation-3 plus or Generation-3 Omni-7. They are distinguished by having an automatic gated power supply that regulates photocathode voltage, which results in instantaneous adaptations to changing lighting conditions. The ion barrier is also thinned, resulting in less noise and the ability to operate at lower-light levels. An example of this generation of NVDs is ‘AN/PVS22’ universal night sight. It can be added to any weapon system that has a picatinny rail and an optical scope and is manufactured by FLIR Systems of the United States.

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However, the fourth generation gated/filmless technology represents the biggest technological breakthrough in image intensification since the last two decades. By removing the ion barrier film and gating the system, fourth generation equipment demonstrates substantial increases in target detection range and resolution, particularly at extremely low light levels. These devices are currently in the trial and testing phase. Apart from military uses, NVDs are also used by law-enforcement agencies, wildlife observers, hunters, navigators, security and surveillance personnel.

Current night fighting capabilities of Indian military

The Indian military, especially the Indian Army, is presently ill-equipped as far as NVDs are concerned. The NVDs held by Indian forces are lagging behind in technology and are too few in numbers. While the Indian Air Force and Indian Navy have the capability to operate and fight at night, the Army's current night fighting capability is limited due to lack of NVDs both in quality as well as quantity. What the Army needs is a minimum of Generation-3 night vision devices (i.e. goggles for soldiers, night sights for small arms and night vision equipment for armoured and mechanised vehicles).

At present, the Indian Army has limited numbers of second-generation devices which at times are more of a hindrance than an asset and very few third generation NVDs which are issued to special forces. Theoretically, each regular army trooper should be equipped with an NVD. However, even if 50 percent of the infantrymen are provided NVDs, it would be a substantial capability enhancement and a gamechanger. Currently, only one NVD is issued to one trooper per section, which is vastly inadequate.

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Sworn enemy Pakistan, on the other hand, has got a range of third generation devices from the US under the ‘war on terror’ pact and also because of its status as an MNNA (Major Non-NATO Ally). China, too, has reportedly readied its entire tank and mechanised fleet of armoured vehicles with night fighting technology and possesses significantly intense night fighting capability in other weapons too. China and Pakistan, thus, have the numbers and technological advantage in this field.

Limited night fighting capability decreases force effectiveness and leads to reduced deterrence, thereby providing a window of opportunity for hostile powers for increased chances of misadventure. The Indian Army needs 30,000-plus third generation NVDs to meet its requirements as per the present authorisation, which is very conservative and woefully inadequate to fight effectively at night. The present authorisation was arrived at keeping in mind the large numbers required and huge costs involved. There is an urgent need to further enhance these holdings, since presently only one device is authorised per section. There is a need to equip each infantryman with an effective NVD. But, as a first step, at least 50 percent of the soldiers need to be well equipped.

The night fighting capabilities of special forces commandos also need to be upgraded on a war footing and can be ignored only at great peril to national security. Most importantly, the availability of NVDs in large numbers in the future is crucial to the success of critical defence projects such as ‘Future Infantry Soldiers as a System (F-INSAS), Main Battle Tanks (MBT), special forces upgrade programme and indigenous Future Infantry Combat Vehicles (FICV). Moreover, for border surveillance, the government has already approved installation of night vision surveillance devices along the international borders. The devices include thermal sensors, night vision devices and night binoculars, apart from Battle Field Surveillance Radars (BFSR) and other sensors.

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Installation of night surveillance devices will facilitate countering Islamic terrorist infiltration, smuggling, drug-trafficking and other transborder crimes. Keeping in mind the large numbers required and huge costs involved, the easiest way forward is to build indigenous capability and capacity for design, development and production of these devices by utilising the ‘Make in India’ policy of the incumbent union government.

Similarly, night vision capability is necessary to exploit air power to its fullest potential, i.e., conducting offensive and defensive operations on a 24X7 basis. Broadly, strategic bombing of high-value targets, interdiction, close air support, combat air patrol and air-to-air WVR (Within Visual Range) combat need to be carried out by day and night. Therefore, the aircraft must be able to take-off, land, fly, navigate and engage aerial and ground targets in periods of complete darkness. Hence, the landing systems also play a crucial role in enhancing night capability.

Navigational and landing aids such as Visual Approach Slope Indicator (VASI), the Ground Controlled Approach (GCA), Precision Approach Path Indicator (PAPI) and the Instrument Landing System (ILS) play a pivotal role in the landing and take-off of aircraft in pitch dark conditions. The fielding of the GPS-aided GEO Augmented Navigation (GAGAN) is also facilitating landing in poor visibility conditions at many airforce bases.

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The navy also has a credible capability for operations at night and in darkness. The aircraft carrier ships and the aircraft, along with all categories of warships and submarines, have the requisite night vision equipment and capabilities for round-the-clock maritime operations. The helicopter fleet of Mi-17 V5, Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH)- Dhruva, Light Combat Helicopter (LCH)-Rudra and Westland Sea King choppers are also capable of night operations with some restrictions due to limitations of the second generation NVDs.

Indigenous capacity build-up

India meets most of its requirements for NVDs through imports. As far as indigenous manufacturing of NVDs is concerned, Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) is the biggest supplier of night vision equipment to the Indian armed forces.

In India, two major collaborations worth mentioning are that of BEL with Photonis of France and Tata Power SED's joint venture with Harder Digital of Germany. Photonis Night Vision is a world leader in the design and manufacturing of image intensifiers. It has provided SUPERGEN-tube technology to BEL half a decade back.

Tata Power SED's partner, Harder Digital, had acquired Serbian image intensifier manufacturing company EiSova and is now known as Harder Digital Sova. This company manufactures the complete range of image intensifier tubes from Generation-1 to Generation-3 and also exports to 30 countries worldwide. The German government is said to have given clearance to Tata Power SED to import Generation-3 technology to India as long as the Indian Army does not pass it to others.

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BEL's present capability is to produce 4000 NVDs per month. Around 80 percent of orders for NVDs have been given to BEL by the Ministry of Defence in the last few years. In 2008, BEL was chosen as the sole vendor to supply 32,766 NVDs to Indian paramilitary forces in technology collaboration with Star Defence Systems of Israel using French Photonis tubes. Subsequently, in 2013, BEL was contracted to supply 30,634 NVDs to meet the requirements of the Army.

As per various reports, BEL is in the process of supplying 5,000 units of night vision sights, 1,780 of the thermal imaging systems for the BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle fleet, 1,200 for T-90 Main Battle Tanks and 2,000 for T-72 Main Battle Tanks. Apart from BEL, the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) also produces a large number of NVDs using second generation/ SUPERGEN image intensifier tubes which have been supplied to the armed forces. The state-owned Electro Optics Ordinance Factory in Dehradun has also been given a contract to manufacture NVDs for the Indian Army and paramilitary forces. It is believed that a foreign Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) might be involved in the transfer of technology in this project.

However, despite the indigenous capabilities, huge gaps remain in the Indian technological potential, especially when it comes to third generation NVDs. The main reason for this long delay and shortfall has been the failure of BEL to absorb technology with the help of foreign vendors. Keeping in mind the obsolete second generation NVDs with the armed forces, a plethora of lucrative opportunities for private sector companies to tap into the market exists. Till date, no Indian company has been able to manufacture third-generation NVDs. Therefore, there is an urgent need for the private sector to enter into joint ventures with foreign OEMs having the requisite expertise in third-generation NVD technology under the union government's ‘Make in India’ programme.

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The overseas situation

The United States is currently at the helm of NVD development. FLIR Systems of the US is the largest commercial company specialising in the design and development of thermal imaging (TI) scopes and cameras, components and imaging sensors. As the world leader, the US closely restricts NVD exports. It allows Generation-3 technology to be exported only to North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) nations along with MNNA (Major Non-NATO Ally) countries like Australia, Egypt, Israel, Japan and South Korea. Decisions regarding sales to other nations are evaluated rigorously and made on a case-by-case basis.

Most European nations, like Germany, France, along with Israel, too, have a very strong NVD technology industrial base, with their armed forces equipped accordingly. CONTROP Precision Technologies of Israel specialises in the production of thermal imagers, II tubes, panoramic scanning devices, etc.

Russia and China are also developing NVDs but their technology seems to be restricted to Generation-2 and Generation 2-plus devices. One of the leading Russian companies manufacturing NVDs is the Leningrad Optical and Mechanical Enterprise (LOMO). It designs and produces optical devices for various applications.

China has an NVG (Night Vision Goggles) system in the form of Type-1985, which employs Generation-2 tubes. It is made by NORINCO and has been exported to Chinese allies. Its capability lags behind Western systems, although it is difficult to ascertain what kind of newer systems might be in service with the People's Liberation Army (PLA), especially in the special forces units.

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The Americans fortified Pakistan in its fight against the Taliban by supplying modern weapons and equipment for many years. This included NVDs and Pakistan's Institute of Optronics, which is said to be licence-producing the American AN/PVS-5A design.

In Singapore, a defence manufacturing company, ST Kinetics, is manufacturing night weapon sights for the SAR-21 assault rifle as part of the Singapore Army's Advanced Combat Man System programme. The Singaporean army also uses a locally produced advanced hand-held thermal imager.

In the Asia-Pacific/Oceania region, Australia is the leader and is pursuing its programme for monocular and weapon sights to replace and refurbish obsolete equipment. BAE Systems Australia plays a pivotal role in it. With the initial operating capability achieved in 2016. Thales Australia also supplied 350 Vipir-2 sights in fulfilment of the Australian Army's soldier enhancement programme. These sights are mounted on standard 5.56mm F88 Austeyr assault rifles.

In today's environment of sub-conventional operations, NVDs are vital for operations against jihadi terrorists and left-wing militants who tend to move and operate by night and constantly resort to using the terrain for frequent camouflaging and concealment. It becomes extremely difficult for Indian troops and paramilitary personnel to lay ambushes against these insurgents and anti-national elements in heavily forested areas and in mountainous terrain without using good quality night vision devices. Most modern armies today are equipped with third generation NVDs. Thus, there is an urgent need to enhance and upgrade the current night fighting capabilities of the Indian armed forces, especially that of the Indian Army's regular as well as special forces units which are presently equipped with the outdated second-generation night vision equipment. Focus should also be laid on developing a healthy economic and technological ecosystem for the indigenous development of Generation-4 NVDs over the coming years. The full thrust must be given towards accelerating capacity build-up in this domain at the earliest.

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