Seeing Better to Shoot Better

Hank Hogan, Contributing Editor, [email protected]

With better eyes in the sky and on the ground, soldiers soon will see the battlefield more clearly than ever. Thanks to sensor innovations, screen improvements, faster digital processing and other advances, military imaging systems will capture and reveal critical information that cannot be caught or displayed today.

Night-vision light-enhanced photography showing US Army Sgt. 1st Class Arnold Stone, 1st Platoon, Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 108th New York Army National Guard, wearing his AN/PSV-7D night-vision goggles while using a handheld radio to call for a situation report. (US Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Steve Faulisi, Balad Air Base)

Schott's NightViper optical scope, introduced by the company's Fiber Optics Defense Division in 2008, allows soldiers on night operations to see what's around corners, under doors, in vehicles or through holes in buildings before entering. NightViper, a flexible wound fiber optic bundle 2 to 6 ft long, attaches to standard 18-mm night-vision goggles. (Photo courtesy of Schott)

Zurich Instruments AG - Lock-In Amplifiers 4/24 MR

A close-up night-vision view of a US Army soldier, 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, wearing a Kevlar helmet with night-vision goggles attached. (US Army photo by Spec. Olanrewaju Akinwunmi).

A US Army soldier from Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, uses night-vision goggles to scan for enemy personnel during a nighttime air assault operation in Sayafiya, Iraq, in 2007. (US Army photo by Sgt. Timothy Kingston)

US Army Staff Sgt. Abraham Bitolas, of the 1st Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, uses night-vision goggles to provide security at an Iraqi army checkpoint in Ur, Iraq, in 2008. (US Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Adrian Cadiz)

US Army Sgt. Jason Weaver from Echo Company, 1st Battalion, 125th Infantry Regiment, Michigan National Guard, scans his sector for insurgents during a night patrol using his night-vision goggles, PVS-14, monocular night-vision device. (US Army photo by Staff Sgt. Bronco Suzuki)

Published: April 2010

Glossary

digital camera: A digital camera is a device that captures and records still images or video in digital format. Unlike traditional film cameras, which use photographic film to capture and store images, digital cameras use electronic sensors to convert light into digital data that can be stored, displayed, and manipulated electronically. digital camera suppliers → Key components of a digital camera include: Image sensor: The image sensor is the electronic component that captures incoming...
hyperspectral imaging: Hyperspectral imaging is an advanced imaging technique that captures and processes information from across the electromagnetic spectrum. Unlike traditional imaging systems that record only a few spectral bands (such as red, green, and blue in visible light), hyperspectral imaging collects data in numerous contiguous bands, covering a wide range of wavelengths. This extended spectral coverage enables detailed analysis and characterization of materials based on their spectral signatures. Key...
microdisplay: A microdisplay is a miniature electronic display technology that is designed to project visual information onto a small screen. Unlike traditional displays, microdisplays are typically very compact and often used in applications where size, weight, and power consumption are critical factors. These displays can be based on various technologies, including liquid crystal display (LCD), organic light-emitting diode (OLED), digital light processing (DLP), and others. Key characteristics and...
screen: The large, usually flat surface onto which an image is projected for viewing. May be reflecting or transmitting (rear projection).
sensor: 1. A generic term for detector. 2. A complete optical/mechanical/electronic system that contains some form of radiation detector.
spectral response: Measure of a detector's signal during exposure to radiation of a constant power level and varying wavelength.
visible: That term pertaining to the spectral region that can be perceived by the eye.

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