Night vision technology is frequently used by law enforcement and the military in the U.S. The technology allows law enforcement officers and soldiers to rely on visual senses to perform their duties during nighttime warfare. Night vision devices were initially used during World War II and became more widely used during the Vietnam War. The technology has continually improved and offers better optics and improved resolution.

There are two basic types of technology that allow people to see in the dark; thermal imaging technology and image enhancement technology. Thermal imaging allows images to be seen based on the heat that is generated. Image enhancement collects and amplifies light. Most night vision equipment utilizes the latter. Wonderopolis shares, “Night vision goggles are made with screens that produce green pictures, because human eyes are more sensitive to green light and it’s easier to look at green pictures for longer periods of time than it is to look at black and white pictures.” [1]

Military Times recently posed a very serious question, “How much longer will US and partner forces ‘own the night’ in combat?” [1] Increasingly, valuable military technology is falling into enemy hands. This includes superior military equipment, such as night vision goggles, or NVGs, used to help US soldiers carry out operations under the darkness of night. Now, as NVGs are being collected by opposing forces during combat, the technology can be used against our soldiers in the future. Military Times states that the use of NVGs by enemy forces “…appears to be growing, with reports from November indicating that the Taliban’s “Red Unit” used rifle-mounted lasers and night vision optics to quickly overrun multiple checkpoints and police bases.” [2]

NVGs are sometimes bought off the black market and resold to individuals, enemy groups, or other countries who wish to learn of our latest technological advances. Currently, there are major concerns in the US over the sale of NVGs to individuals. NVGs are widely available on the market and can be easily purchased online or at a store such as Walmart. A lack of federal regulation over sales, training, and use, provides ISIS fighters and other terrorist organizations opportunities to gain access to this latest technological advancement. However, the legality of night vision for hunting varies and is dependent upon individual state laws. Some countries, such as Hungary, regulate the possession and use of night-vision devices. [4]

[1] https://wonderopolis.org/wonder/how-do-night-vision-goggles-work

[2] [3] https://www.militarytimes.com/flashpoints/2018/03/09/how-much-longer-will-us-and-partner-forces-own-the-night-in-combat/

[4] https://wikipedia.org/wiki/night_vision_device

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