Future soldier
Above: Thermal night vision can often be rendered ineffective in snowy or rainy conditions.
Below: The future of the technology incorporate augmented reality, giving soldiers access to useful information directly to their goggles.
– is transforming its night-time capabilities. From laser beacons (identifying friends from foes) and laser sights (for aiming weapons), Tiilikka argues for a “significant leap” in what his army can do at night. “Now,” he says, “we have the possibility for each individual rifleman to detect, identify and engage with their personal and squad weapons in the dark.” The Norwegian army, for its part, is moving in a similar direction. “We are always keeping a close eye on technical developments in the market,” says Nesland-Steinor, adding that blending light- intensifying and thermal technologies has “proved to be beneficial”. All the same, speak to the experts and it becomes clear that this new world of night vision is down to far more than technical wizardry. For starters, Senop didn’t just conjure up its new equipment overnight, but rather worked closely with Tiilikka and his colleagues to make it happen. Among other things, that means the power sources on the goggles are more efficient than they otherwise might have been. Other countries, for their part, have taken similar steps. In the UK, for instance, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) is partnering with Elbit Systems to develop new
helmet-mounted night vision systems, with the MoD even boasting an outpost at Elbit’s Kent factory. Given how sophisticated these devices are, moreover, training is vital to success. Nesland- Steinor is typical when he says that a robust understanding of night vision goggles is key to achieve their “full value”, noting that being so far north gives troops plenty of time to practice over the winter months. Tiilikka makes a similar point. “There is a specific night-combat training course to teach the basics of small unit tactics at night-time,” he explains of his military. “And, after that, our exercise system with systematic field and live-fire exercises include training in low-and-no-light conditions.” The only challenge, Tiilikka adds, is when those endless nights are replaced by the ceaseless days of summer – and darkness is only really possible in a curtained room.
Reality checks
Despite these undoubted successes, it’d be wrong to imply that advances in night-vision technology are flawless. On the contrary, Tiilikka stresses that some of the fundamental limitations of night vision are here to stay. Because of its relative cheapness, for example, he says photomultiplying will “remain the backbone of infantry night combat capability for some time” – despite continued struggles in the face of sudden flashes. On a more fundamental level, meanwhile, Tiilikka notes that nothing but training can make night vision easier to use. Artificially making the night sky shine, he says that some users find it hard to use the machines in practice, adding that headaches and tiredness can be insurmountable side effects for a minority of soldiers. Yet, if some of the limitations of night-vision goggles show no sign of disappearing, both Tiilikka and Nesland-Steinor are excited for the future. A particular area of interest, they agree, is exploiting the vast potential of augmented reality (AR). Apart from helping distinguish friend from foe, these new systems can offer users other useful information, such as maps or navigation instructions, beamed right onto the goggles as if the wearer were in a video game. Combined with other nifty tools, including the ability to combine low-light and thermal images, it should come as no surprise that armies are rushing to embrace AR. The US military is already investing heavily in the technology, while the Nordics are close behind. As ever, the brutal weather provides both challenges and opportunities, with Tiilikka noting that Finland is currently investigating non-fogging spectacles that don’t mist up in the cold. But given everything he and his team have achieved already, there’s every reason to believe they’ll get there in the end – an ominous development for the grandchildren of those hapless Russian attackers eight decades ago. ●
30 Defence & Security Systems International /
www.defence-and-security.com
HQ Vectors Premium Studio/
Shutterstock.com; Finnish Defence Forces
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