REVIEW: L-3 Ground Panoramic Night Vision Goggle

Almost the same field of view as during the day, but in green at night, is a significant advantage, especially in confined spaces. This advantage is achieved with the Ground Panoramic Night Vision Goggles (GPNVG) from L-3. We were able to test this state-of-the-art night vision device and share our experiences with you. (Click on all images to enlarge).

At first glance, a 97° field of view through the GPNVG18 is hard to describe. The upper image from TNVC captures it well. With regular devices, you have a field of view of ~40°, which is sufficient for open areas and long distances. With two tubes like the PVS15, it's actually pretty good. But in confined spaces like trenches, houses, etc., a normal night vision device is more of a hindrance than an improvement. The tube view and the different necessary focusings are extremely confusing. That's why the GPNVG18 was developed. It fully leverages its advantages in the described scenarios, even though it has been on the market for three years and was originally developed for pilots. To achieve this field of view, four image intensifier tubes were used, with two being merged into each eyepiece. This results in the unique shape of the GPNVG18, which makes the wearer look like a deer when flipped up and like an insect when flipped down.

Two tubes (Gen3 18mm MX-10160 image intensifier tubes) are integrated in one housing, and the two housings are adjustably attached to a bridge. By rotating the knobs on the right and left, you can shift the optical groups so that a continuous image appears in front of your eyes. The NVG arm mount is located in the middle of the bridge. There are two versions: ANVIS and BNVIS (Dovetail). This device does not have a manual diopter adjustment at the eyepiece. Instead, special compensating discs ranging from +0.5 to -2.5 diopters are clamped behind the eyepiece. This adjustment should be made before field use.

The GPNVG18 is powered by four 3V CR123A batteries housed in an external battery pack. The GPNVG18 and batteries are connected via a standard ANVIS cable, providing approximately 30 hours of operation. The device is turned on and off with the push button in the middle of the bridge and does not have an automatic shutdown mechanism when flipped up.

To focus, each lens must be turned individually. There is a protective glass in front of the lenses that can be easily and quickly replaced. The device weighs ~765g, requiring a counterweight of nearly 500g to be comfortably worn on the helmet for extended periods. The battery box for the GPNVG is mounted at the back of the helmet, with two versions available.

CONCLUSION: A new generation of wearable night vision devices has been introduced with the GPNVG18. With the large 97° field of view, movement in confined spaces with a night vision device is no longer a problem, targets can be acquired much faster. The device is a significant advantage for pilots, boat operators, or anyone who needs to navigate in confined spaces, standing out remarkably next to normal night vision devices in close quarter battle scenarios.

Available ONLY TO AUTHORITIES starting at a price of €30,000.

HERE is the comparison with the FMA Dummy of the GPNVG

HERE is the comparison with the SATC Spartan Dummy of the GPNVG