ROANOKE, Va., Feb. 22 -- ITT Industries Night Vision and Raytheon Co. have announced an agreement to develop and produce night-vision sensor fusion technology, which combines thermal and image intensification technologies. "The US military has long wanted to merge these two critical technologies to maximize the benefits of both," said Neil A. Gallagher, president and general manager for ITT Industries Night Vision. "As the leading supplier of high-performance image intensifier technology, ITT is pleased to be associated with Raytheon, the leading supplier of thermal imaging equipment. Together, we will advance the night operational effectiveness of US fighting forces." The agreement consists of two cooperative efforts -- one for digital fusion, in which Raytheon is lead contractor, and one for optical fusion, in which ITT is the lead. Digital fusion will address potential applications for all-electronic image processing. Optical fusion efforts will address requirements for lightweight, low-power and low-cost applications. Initial efforts by the two companies have resulted in a digital fusion marketing demonstrator that both demonstrates the operational benefits and validates the efficacy of digital fusion, according to ITT.