Europe’s largest-ever night vision procurement has been finalized as the Theon-Hensoldt consortium won a €1-billion OCCAR contract to supply Mikron NVGs to German and Belgian forces. The agreement calls for the delivery of around 100,000 systems to Germany and 4,000 to Belgium, reinforcing an ongoing multinational effort that will see more than 178,000 NVGs fielded by 2030. Previous tranches under the same program have already delivered the majority of 66,000 goggles to Germany and 8,000 to Belgium. Central to the system’s performance are advanced 16-mm image intensifier tubes from Exosens, with more than 200,000 units allocated for Germany and thousands more for Belgium. The dual-tube binocular architecture significantly improves spatial awareness and depth perception, advantages that are especially critical for mechanized maneuvering and dismounted operations at night. The modular design allows each monocular to be rotated independently, enabling rapid reconfiguration for different mission profiles. Once folded away, the goggles maintain a low profile that reduces fatigue and equipment exposure. Powered by a single AA battery and compatible with remote helmet-mounted power packs, the Mikron-D supports extended missions. Overall, the contract represents a major leap in European night-fighting capability and industrial cooperation.
