REVIEW: Norotos US GI NVG Mount & Rhino

Night vision on an American helmet? Anyone who wants that, first thinks of the US GI NVG Mount from Norotos, which adorns the helmet of every regular soldier. Here you can see the two components: on the right the plate into which the left-hand Rhino Arm is attached.

The plate from all sides: the Rhino Arm is attached to the front. At the back, you can see the screw with which the plate is mounted on the helmet, which is drilled with a hole. In the side view, you can see that the part consists of two pieces, the plate and the clamp below. This one is for a MICH, there is also an older version for the PASGT.

The Rhino in its full glory. It's called "Rhino" because when folded up on the helmet, it looks a bit like a rhinoceros. The Rhino can be folded up and down. The top part, where the night vision device is inserted, can be adjusted in angle with a rotating screw.

It's a bit "Old School" when a PVS7 is attached to the Rhino. The Rhino Arm and NVG connector fit perfectly together. It gets a bit more complicated when trying to attach a PVS14. In the image above, you can already see the additional part needed for the PVS14 - the J-Arm. It is screwed around the monocular and ends in the connector that is then attached to the Rhino Arm (below).

CONCLUSION: A somewhat minimalist solution to get a night vision device on the head. Because the US GI NVG Mount is not height adjustable, the results are not always the best. And the connection between the Rhino and the night vision device can be quite shaky. But always remember, this is the solution for the regular GI. Special Operation Forces have long used more advanced NVG Mounts.

You can find the plate and Rhino Arm on Ebay starting from $60. Replicas are available from $30 at various Asian shops.