Elbit Systems announced on June 17 that its US subsidiary Elbit Systems of America, had been awarded two orders worth around US$29m to upgrade US Army and National Guard rotary-wing night vision systems.

Under the orders, originally issued by the US Army’s Program Executive Office Soldier under an indefinite delivery/indefinite-quantity contract in 2020, Elbit Systems of America will upgrade the AN/AVS-6 Aviator’s Night Vision Imaging Systems (ANVIS) with high performance white phosphor image intensifier tubes.

The night vision upgrade to the US Army fleet’s legacy ANVIS goggles will replace the existing green image intensification. White phosphor enhances the ANVIS goggles as it presents visuals in black and white detail, which may appear more natural to the eye.

Raanan Horowitz, CEO of Elbit Systems of America, said in statement that upgrading the US Army’s aviation fleet to a high-performance white phosphor would provide “improved clarity” for operators.

The new image intensification tubes will also provide better contrast, along with high image resolution at greater distances for pilots. The orders will be executed from the Elbit Systems of America facility in Roanoke, Virginia, with deliveries through September 2021.