New and emerging use cases for night vision devices

Mar 15, 2023

Increase officer safety and situational awareness with this tool

Content provided by Rampart USA

The increase in demand for night vision devices is reaching far past traditional tactical teams as more and more specialty teams are seeing night vision devices (NVDs) as a crucial piece of operational equipment. Advancements in night vision technology and increased pressure in today's climate are showing the value of having modern NVDs available to your law enforcement agency.

No longer just a tool for tactical teams, night vision technology should be considered an essential and versatile tool for both mission success and officer safety. Currently, Gen 3 devices are the best in the market when it comes to night vision and give the clearest and brightest images, the best low light performance and the best resolution.

They also come with an operational lifetime capacity of up to 10,000 hours, doubling that of Gen 2. The addition of white phosphorus technology also improves optical clarity, contrast and gives a more natural image than the traditional green. This is very important when it comes to identification and situational awareness, which is paramount for law enforcement.

NVDs not only help in identifying targets but also improve officer safety by giving officers the upper hand in nighttime or low light scenarios. Traditional flashlights/white light can add unnecessary risk of exposing officers by revealing their location. With night vision, officers can remain obscured in their allotted position.

On top of the ability to continue the operation after dark, NVDs help in covert surveillance when an individual's appearance and facial characteristics must be discerned to identify the individual. This is opposed to thermal devices that would struggle differentiating between people and objects. Paired with a camera and lenses as part of your surveillance kit, NVDs allow for better, clearer records in court for identification purposes.

The increase in occupational style protests has resulted in new challenges for crowd control teams when operating at night. Crowd control teams cannot lose overwatch when the sun goes down and NVDs allow units to properly monitor activity throughout the night, scan for threats and identify possible weapons.

Night vision can play a critical role in successful operations for containment teams. NVDs can help officers with coordination and deployment in low light scenarios. The ability to see in low light scenarios increases intelligence on the situation and provides scope/context for the situation. The addition of beacons can also be deployed for an even greater level of detail. For example, one team can have an IR strobe while the other can have a constant beam.

Every minute counts when it comes to search and rescue, and teams cannot afford to be racing against the sun. NVDs give search teams the ability to double their operational capacity, allowing teams to search day and night. IR markers can once again be used to increase efficiency by marking positions and indicating areas that have already been searched.

An often overlooked aspect when it comes to night vision is its use in the marine operation environment, whether DFO, border security or law enforcement. White light can only travel so far; An NVD, especially paired with an IR illuminator, can greatly aid when it comes to smuggling interdiction, customs enforcement and other boat operations.

Traditionally, handheld monocular devices like the PVS-14 had been the accepted standard for NVDs. Depending on your needs, dual tube, binocular NVGs, such as the BNVDs from Night Vision Devices, may be more suitable.

As illustrated above, handheld PVS-14s give you the ability to clip on other devices like lenses and cameras – but when used with your eye, it can be a big strain on that specific eye. BNVDs allow you to be hands-free, increase depth perception and situational awareness, and allow the versatility of using additional handheld devices.

When evaluating NVDs, Rampart USA recommends products from Night Vision Devices. Night Vision Devices, a U.S. veteran-owned business, is the source of the highest quality U.S. manufactured night vision binoculars, monoculars, weapon sights, night vision parts and services in the industry.

For more information and to help identify the appropriate device for your agency, contact Rampart USA.

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