The OCCAR-EA Director, Mr. Joachim Sucker, has signed a third amendment to the Night Vision Goggles Contract on behalf of Belgium and Germany for the procurement of additional Night Vision Goggles and In-Service Support with the Consortium of Hensoldt Optronics GmbH and THEON Sensors SA. The Night Vision Goggles (NVG) Contract Amendment No. 3 includes an additional 16,041 MIKRON NVG Sets, 8,423 Head Mounting Systems for Germany and an initial In-Service Support for the additional German NVG sets. Since 2021 almost 20,000 MIKRON NVG Sets have been delivered to Belgium and Germany, alongside with accessories and In-Service Support.
German representatives highlighted the continued increase of the Belgian and German night vision capabilities and strong cooperation between the two Nations as well as the successful achievement of the objectives of the Night Vision Capability (NVC) Programme and the management provided by OCCAR. The Belgian-German NVC Programme procures and manages night vision equipment for dismounted forces and drivers of military vehicles, resulting in an increase of interoperability and a decrease of logistic footprint in operational theatres. It is a major cooperation project in this technological field and one of the largest NVG tenders in Europe.
The MIKRON NVG is a light weight, image intensified, dual tube binocular that is able to be operated helmet-mounted, head-mounted, or hand-held. The system also features an integrated infrared illuminator. To allow instant usage configuration changes, the user can flip away each monocular separately. MIKRON NVG offers better depth perception than single tube systems making it easier to judge distances and relative motion so the ability to perform tasks such as driving is greatly improved. It is the ideal choice for special operations forces. The MIKRON is powered by a self-contained single AA battery but can also be used with a remote battery pack for increased operating time.
The Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (French: Organisation Conjointe de Coopération en matière d’ARmement; OCCAR) is a European intergovernmental organisation that facilitates and manages collaborative armament programmes through their lifecycle between the governments of Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom. Each OCCAR programmes is supervised by a Programme Board (strategic decisions) and a Programme Committee (operational decisions). The programmes are executed by the OCCAR Executive Administration (OCCAR-EA) in accordance with the decisions of the supervisory bodies.
