Thales readies BONIE HP NVGs for French special forces

Thales has used the Special Operations Forces Innovation Network Seminar (SOFINS) 2019 exhibition held at Camp de Souge, France, from 2-4 April to unveil the latest variant in its family of night vision goggles (NVGs) for use by special forces.

The BONIE High Performance (HP) NVG, which has been developed in close co-operation with the French Special Operations Command (COS), is designed to provide end users with a wide aperture night vision binocular and is designed to support “critical missions down to extremely low light levels”, company officials told Jane’s .

The French special forces have selected Thales’ BONIE High Performance night vision goggles. (Andrew White)

The development of BONIE HP follows the BONIE Light Weight (LW) model, which comprises a similar binocular NVG design.

The BONIE HP NVG weighs 640 g and provides a 40° field-of-view with 1× magnification and includes Gen II and III intensifier tubes manufactured by Photonis.

Powered by a single AA battery, the NVG can operate in temperatures of between -32° C and 49° C and incorporates an integrated infrared illuminator for zero light conditions. The device also features an automatic cut-off capability when stowed on a combat helmet.

According to Thales, the BONIE HP NVG can support multiple applications including ground vehicle driving, high-altitude military freefall operations, and maritime missions.

The NVG can be worn as a helmet-mounted display or as a handheld or head-mounted device with a cradle. The device’s side arms can be independently stowed, enabling an operator to use a single aperture in a monocular form factor when desired.

Thales highlighted that the BONIE HP is “co-designed with French SOF” to ensure increased robustness, ergonomics, and operational capabilities. Company officials also confirmed to Jane’s