Israeli firm Elbit Systems announced on Friday that British Army has received its compact night vision systems.
As noted by the company, Elbit Systems’ UK subsidiary has delivered the first tranche of its XACT Night Vision Goggles to the British Army as part of a contract awarded by the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) to the company in June of this year.
Following First Article Inspections conducted by MOD Defence Equipment and Security (DE&S), this initial consignment of XACT systems was manufactured at Elbit Systems UK’s subsidiary Instro Precision Ltd’s (Instro) facility in Kent. The systems have been delivered from Instro to the British Army for operational use with a lead time of only a few months, demonstrating the company’s agility and its ability to respond swiftly to the needs of the UK Armed Forces.
Representatives from DE&S recently visited Instro’s site to oversee the process and formally provide approval for the initial delivery of the systems to the British Army.
Prior to delivery of this first tranche of systems, a number of XACT nv33 systems were supplied to the 1st Division at Imphal Barracks in York, in order to provide instruction on the capabilities of the Night Vision Goggles to the Divisional Training Advisory Team (DTAT).
The lightweight micro binocular XACT nv33 Night Vision Goggles have been supplied in a helmet-mounted configuration, with size, weight and improved capabilities that have been well-received by the Army. The systems will allow troops to maximise their mission efficiency in dark conditions and enable them to operate at a tactical level in both dismounted and mounted roles. Products from the XACT family are already in operational use with a number of NATO countries including Germany, the Netherlands and Israel.
Martin Fausset, CEO of Elbit Systems UK said:
“The manufacture and rapid supply of the XACT nv33 NVGs marks another step in our contribution to the UK Armed Forces, and the presence of DE&S at our facility in Kent reflects that. The NVGs have been proven to enhance operational effectiveness of several militaries globally, and Instro’s work for the UK Ministry of Defence will continue to create more jobs in the UK, growing the local workforce and enhancing skill development in the region.”