ΤΗΕΟΝ SENSORS and HENSOLDT receive OCCAR contract for 20.000 night vision goggles

Bonn, 5th July 2022 – The Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR) signed a contract amendment to an existing contract for binocular night vision goggles on behalf of Belgium and Germany with a Consortium consisting of HENSOLDT Optronics and THEON SENSORS. The contract amendment worth a mid three-digit million amount activates the existing option of the supply of an additional 20.000 MIKRON Night Vision Goggles to the German Armed Forces while at the same time the delivery schedule shall be accelerated. The follow-up contract will be executed by the newly founded joint venture HENSOLDT Theon Night Vision GmbH.

The contract amendment furthermore covers various enhancements of the MIKRON and changes to the system configuration as a result of the Operational Testing and Acceptance phase which was successfully passed by the MIKRON end of February 2022.

At the signing of the contract in Bonn with Christian Hadjiminas, CEO of THEON SENSORS, Andreas Hülle, Head of the Optronics & Land Solutions Division and Managing Director of?HENSOLDT Optronics GmbH, the Director of OCCAR-EA Matteo Bisceglia stated: “The NVC program is a great example that European industries can win by participating in a competitive procurement process managed by OCCAR. It proves that OCCAR can quickly and successfully deliver equipment to the benefit of the Nations’ Armed Forces and shows that with THEON SENSORS, a European industry from a non-OCCAR state can participate and benefit from such a program. Stimulated by this OCCAR contract, HENSOLDT and THEON SENSORS decided to further deepen their cooperation in night vison capabilities, resulting in the establishment of a new company called HENSOLDT THEON Night Vision GmbH. Congratulations!”

Christian Hadjminas, CEO of THEON SENSORS and President of EFA GROUP, added: “This large new contract amendment is a culmination of the successful cooperation?between?HENSOLDT?Optronics GmbH and?THEON SENSORS that opens doors for?synergies and?co-operation in other areas within Europe. The present growth is not only beneficial for the countries and companies involved, but also is strengthening the European industrial position in the worldwide context”.

Andreas Hülle,?Managing Director of HENSOLDT Optronics GmbH, stated: “HENSOLDT and THEON SENSORS have already worked together successfully in the past. Here, two European companies are working together in an exemplary way to equip the Belgian and German armed forces with state-of-the-art night vision equipment.?This order is directly related to our growth strategy. Russia's war against Ukraine shows how important networked high-performance sensor technology and optical systems are for equipping our armed forces in line with the times.”

The type of night vision goggles selected is the MIKRON, a BNVG with two 16 mm residual light amplifier tubes and integrated infrared illuminator. They can be worn by the soldier either on the helmet or by means of a headgear system. The two monoculars can be folded away separately. MIKRON is powered by a single AA battery, but can also be operated with an external battery pack should a longer operating time be required.

The accelerated delivery schedule of the enhanced MIKRON shall start with first deliveries this week, while the total current contractual quantity of 29.550 NVGs is planned to be concluded in the 3rd quarter of 2024. The increase in night vision capability for both programme participating states is critical in providing advanced equipment for their dismounted, airmobile and air assault soldiers as well as drivers of military vehicles.