The Fiery Crucible Of Night Vision Systems

IDGA - What's going on right now in the Night Vision community?

Dr Estrera - There is tremendous pressure to do more with less in light of governmental fiscal demands and shrinking budgets affecting the Night Vision community, as it has with the rest of the U.S. defense industry. However, the global threats and increasing instabilities in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia in the last year have not taken a break or reduced in ferocity. They have further increased and the need for greater mission capability in the area of Night Vision technologies and products remains a constant.

The challenges and unfulfilled needs further intensify for Night Vision equipment under the crucible of size, weight, and power (SWaP) demands. This "fiery" crucible fueled by competition, the maximum utilization of existing Night Vision inventory, and the global proliferation of older Night Vision equipment has placed a controlling upper limit on the forward progression of Night Vision technology and products to next generation devices. So the Night Vision community in the last year is working harder than ever to adapt and deal with these forces so innovation and growth remain strong in this community and a strong industrial base is available for U.S. and Allied Forces for ever increasing global mission and operational demands.