ROANOKE, Va., April 8 -- ITT Industries Night Vision, a Roanoke, Va., subsidiary of ITT Industries Inc., announced it has recieved a contract award for enhanced night-vision goggles (ENVG) with a potential estimated value of $560 million over a five-year period from the US Army Research, Development and Engineering Command Acquisition Center, Unique Missions Division. The company received a base award of $10 million for the first program year.
ITT said the goggles optically combine an image intensification (I2) image and an infrared (IR) image, allowing for improved mobility and situational awareness through clear target identification and improved target detection. ITT said it used its I2 technology and Raytheon supplied itd IR expertise and components to develop the goggles.
The company said in a statement, "I2 and IR technologies have allowed the US military and its allies to 'own the night' for years, but both technologies have strengths and limitations. The ENVG combines the strengths of both technologies into one unit, allowing soldiers to complete their missions more effectively, even when confronted by low-light conditions or obscurants such as smoke and fog."
The initial units will be used by Program Executive Office Soldier -- the organization that develops what soldiers wear, carry and operate -- for testing purposes. Testing is expected to last through April 2006.
ITT Industries Inc., based in White Plains, N.Y., supplies products and services for markets including fluid and water management, including water treatment; defense communication; optoelectronics; information technology and services; and electronic interconnects and switches. ITT Industries Night Vision makes image intensifier technology for US and allied military forces and for federal, state and local law enforcement.
For more information, visit: www.itt.com