Nocturn Industries unveiled their Chimera at SHOT Show 2023. Built to be more modular and affordable, these ground panoramic night vision goggles (GPNVGs) are available for sale directly to civilians. In other words, quads may finally be within your budget!
Nocturn Industries also announced their new battery packs, as well as their Manticore and Samurai night vision binoculars that will both be available with 7075 aluminum or high strength hybrid fiber reinforced injection molded polymer in the near future.
Chimera
The Ultralight Articulating Panoramic Night Vision Goggle (UAPNVG) “Chimera” is Nocturn Industries’ evolution from the traditional panoramic NVG systems by incorporating the first quad articulating mechanism.
While providing more versatility, this patent-pending system also provides a lower overall profile when stowed to provide for easier movements in close spaces such as vehicles. The low profile also pulls the center of gravity closer to the center of the helmet which reduces muscle fatigue.
A sweet feature of the dual articulating Chimera system is the ability to fold one side up and simultaneously use a scope with thermal/NV capabilities. This allows the user to maintain more situational awareness out in the field.
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The bridge is designed to work with existing pods such as the ANVIS10, Photonis PD Pro-Q, Lindu QTNVG, L3 GPNVG18, and more. In addition to the new bridge, the new housings Nocturn Industries have been working on look quite durable and will come in at a fraction of the cost of traditional quad systems.
They are aiming for a release around the fall of this year with an MSRP of around $15,000 for the whole system. They also said they would be selling the bridge within the next three months for around $2,500 for those with existing quad tube devices that want more modularity.
Manticore
The “Manticore” is an articulating binocular housing that will be available with either high-strength hybrid fiber reinforced injection molded polymer or machined from 7075-T6 aluminum. These will be designated as either the UANVB-FC (polymer) or the UANVB-FCR (ruggedized aluminum).
This system comes with a full suite of onboard digital controls on the front of the bridge. These controls allow for activation of the onboard IR illuminator, manual gain adjustment, and powering the goggles on or off.
The articulating design is one of my favorite features. It allows users to use one or both eyes by permitting each tube to fold independently of the other. This allows users to use a thermal optic with one eye while maintaining situational awareness with the other.
The biggest perk I’ve found is the increased head clearance when inside a vehicle, allowing users to operate a vehicle without hunching over to avoid hitting the roof. They also feature a new patent pending “Friction Lock Interpupillary Adjustment” that allows for quick IP stop sets that are completely user adjustable.
The Manticore articulating binoculars should be available around Q3 with an MSRP of $2,424 for the FCR aluminum version and an MSRP of $2,124 for the FC polymer version.
Samurai
The “Samurai” is a patent pending articulating binocular housing that will be available with either high-strength hybrid fiber reinforced injection molded polymer or machined from 7075-T6 aluminum. These will be designated as either the UANVB-OC (polymer) or the UANVB-OCR (ruggedized aluminum).
Unlike the Manticore, the Samurai system will have a full suite of outboard controls that will be utilized via the proprietary battery control pack. This helps shift weight away from the front of the helmet to provide a more natural feeling package.
Featuring an onboard IR illuminator, users will still be able to see in the darkest of situations. These binoculars also feature the patent pending “Friction Lock Interpupillary Adjustment” feature that allows for quick IP stop sets that are completely user adjustable. No tools or knobs are required.
The articulating design is identical to that of the Manticore. Articulating binos provide a massive advantage, and Nocturn Industries also has designed these to have individual power cutoffs to “negate backsplash or any accidental tube exposure” when a single tube is folded up and out of the way.
The Samurai articulating binoculars should be available around Q3 with an MSRP of $2,524 for the OCR aluminum version and an MSRP of $2,224 for the OC polymer version.
This will also include one of the two new battery pack options Nocturn Industries has designed, which feature controls on the housing and can be powered by either two CR123As or four double A batteries.
Daisho
Lastly, Nocturn Industries released their UANVM “Tanto” last year which is basically a lightweight PVS14. However, this year they released a proprietary powered articulating dual bridge called the TAB (Tanto Articulating Bridge) or the “Daisho.”
This design allows users to transform their monocular into an articulating binocular setup in seconds allowing ultimate versatility. Due to this design, it is easy to share a single Tanto with a friend, or just bridge both back together.
The bridge converts the two individually powered Tantos into a single battery system. The housing features built-in IP stops, and piecing together the bridge was quick and easy for me to do out on the floor of SHOT Show.
The Daisho should be available within the next three months and will have an MSRP of $650.
To read more about these new products from Nocturn Industries, click HERE.
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