What countries outside the U.S. use night vision equipment?
Various levels of night vision technology (generations) are available throughout the world from foreign (non-U.S.) manufacturers. The U.S. Department(s) of Defense, State, and Commerce restrict the international sale of night vision technology/equipment manufactured in the U.S. These restrictions apply primarily to Generation 3 technology, the most advanced technology currently used by U.S. military forces. However, in an effort to support U.S. allies and to ensure interoperability of equipment, the U.S. Government allows Gen 3 technology to be exported to all NATO countries, plus Japan, South Korea, Australia, Egypt, and Israel. Other countries’ requests for Gen 3 technology must be reviewed and approved on a case-by-case basis. The U.S. Government is currently implementing a new system for reviewing night vision export licenses that uses various levels of Gen 3 tube performance – rather than simply the Generation itself – as the limiting “parameters” by which export applications are
