The Evolution of Night Vision Equipment: An Analysis Based on Modern and Contemporary Military Operations

Abstract

In recent years, night vision devices, as part of individual-soldier equipment, have increasingly attracted the attention of various enforcement units and enthusiasts. Under these circumstances, domestic night vision manufacturers in China have gradually rose to prominence, breaking the foreign monopoly on the producing and exporting night vision equipment and supplies for the People’s Liberation Army of China and the People’s Police. These night vision devices have also gradually appeared in the promotional videos of the People’s Liberation Army of China and the People’s Police of China. Against this backdrop, this study will mainly focus on the practical applications of night vision equipment, and use modern combat cases, such as the the Cold War-era Falklands War and the early 21st-century Global War on Terror, to discuss its necessity as individual soldier equipment and its current limitations, thereby briefly discussing the possible future development trends of night vision equipment. In conclusion, it is inevitable that night vision devices, as individual soldier equipment, will be widely equipped by the military forces of various countries in the future. Technologically, their development will also focus on enhancing stability and improving combat effectiveness.