The Marine Corps is looking to equip infantry Marines with binocular goggles capable of both night vision and thermal imaging.
It’s the latest development of the Marine Corps revamping the infantry with new equipment as it begins to operate in environments once in the purview of elite special operations forces.
In late December, Marine Corps Systems Command submitted a request for information, “to gain a better understanding” of the available systems, wanted for “observation, target acquisition and target engagement in low light and limited visibility conditions.”
“We’re seeking a combined image intensification and thermal capability that can be helmet-mounted and/or hand-held,” Barbara Hamby, a spokeswoman for Marine Corps Systems Command, told Marine Corps Times.
The devices will be fielded to Marine fire teams, and while the Corps wants a helmet-mounted device, it also is looking at a hand-held system and other configurations that meet the Corps’ requirement.
The Marine Corps already fields a similar device, called the BNVG II, to its explosive ordnance disposal and reconnaissance Marines, Hamby explained.
Shawn Snow is the senior reporter for Marine Corps Times and a Marine Corps veteran.
