Army completes first of three 'reliability growth tests’ with ENVG-B

The Army has completed the first of three "reliability growth tests" for the Enhanced Night Vision Goggle-Binocular, the service's new night vision goggle, at Ft. Polk, LA, according to an Army press release.

Soldiers from the 89th Cavalry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division tested the system this past month during the event, which included a week of classroom training, marksmanship training on the range, nighttime situational training exercises and culminated with a 72-hour field training exercise with an opposing force.

The system was first fielded last year as part of an initial directed requirement to soldiers at Ft. Riley, who have since deployed with the goggles to Korea.

During the reliability growth test, an iterative user evaluation known as a soldier touchpoint, 30 soldiers used the ENVG-Bs and compared the system to a PVS-14 Night Vision Monocular.

"In terms of target detection and clarity, the difference between the [ENVG-B] and the PVS-14 is night and day," Capt. Will Hess, C Troop commander, said in the press release. "The guys wearing the ENVG-Bs were taking targets out to 300 meters and even beyond, whereas our guys with 14s are having trouble seeing beyond 150. I can't say enough about the ENVG-Bs. There's really no comparison."

The ENVG-B also "includes augmented reality capabilities and a heads-up display that integrates wirelessly with weapon optics," according to the release. Soldiers said the ENVG-B provided more depth perception, clarity and overall situational awareness compared to the PVS-14.

The ENVG-B will be constantly evaluated through future reliability growth tests and soldier touchpoints to address any issues identified with the system.

Army spokeswoman Bridgett Siter told Inside Defense in a statement the next two reliability growth tests are scheduled no sooner than eight months from today, but official dates and locations have not yet been decided.