As announced in mid-April 2026, the U.S. Army awarded the U.S. company L3Harris Technologies the delivery of the helmet-mounted Nova system as a next-generation binocular night-vision system. The contract has a value of up to 465 million US dollars and thus expands efforts to modernize battlefield sight for ground troops, according to the U.S. Army. The contract covers the program for a binocular night-vision device and has an initial duration of seven years.
Nova enables, according to the manufacturer, thanks to improved image intensifier technology, optimized situational awareness under all weather conditions and around the clock. It builds on existing night-vision platforms of the U.S. military and is intended to meet the long-term requirements of the next two decades. The new night-vision goggles celebrated their world premiere only at the SHOT Show 2026 in Las Vegas.
Nova ist Teil herstellerübergreifender Investitionen der U.S. Army
“We are meeting the needs of the U.S. Army, the armed forces worldwide, and security agencies by developing a system that provides important night-vision capabilities at scale,” said Brenna Baker, President of Integrated Vision Solutions at L3Harris. “Nova is the night-vision system that this generation of soldiers will think of when someone says ‘night vision.’ We are focusing on moving straight into production to make this technology available to soldiers as quickly as possible.”
The award of the Nova contract comes in the context of a series of U.S. Army investments to improve night combat capabilities across platforms and manufacturers. In recent years, the U.S. Army has introduced the Enhanced Night Vision Goggle – Binocular System from L3Harris. More than 20,000 units have been delivered as part of a broader modernization of soldier equipment. This system is also in use by Ukrainian special forces.
USA treiben die Modernisierung ihrer Nachtsichtsysteme voran
According to Matt Lufkin, Head of Product Management at L3Harris, the Nova system is the commercial or international variant of the binocular night-vision device (BiNOD) developed by L3Harris for the U.S. Army. The development of the device began in 2021 with a clear focus on the Army’s key requirements for a successor to the PVS-14: a cost-effective, universally usable binocular system with a standardized configuration. “The Army wanted a future-proof system, and this goggles meets these requirements,” said Lufkin. “The design of the Nova system with its integrated tube is, for us, the future of night vision.”
The latest night-vision goggles from L3Harris are aimed at a price point that enables land forces to procure a Nova system on a large scale, while offering all the features customers expect. One of the biggest cost savings over the life cycle results from easy maintenance and reduced down-time of the goggles. For example, if an image intensifier tube needs to be replaced, the new USB-C interface enables the straightforward replacement of damaged components with only four screws, ensuring the system can be quickly back in operation.
“The first beneficiaries of a Nova system are soldiers, border police officers, and tactical officers who previously did not have high-quality night-vision equipment,” said Lufkin. “Nova night-vision goggles are economical to acquire and operate. They offer these frontline personnel more battlefield-level capabilities than ever before.” L3Harris is developing a technical roadmap for future versions of the Nova line, including an enhanced version with a partial head-up display, connected battery, and increased immersion capabilities.
