Taiwan-made military night vision tech unveiled

Taipei, June 5 (CNA) The National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST), a Taiwanese state-owned research center, has unveiled two night-vision systems designed to enhance the nighttime combat capabilities of Taiwanese soldiers.

The night-vision systems -- a head-mounted sight and an off-axis rifle sight -- were publicly exhibited for the first time at a memorandum signing ceremony with National Chung Cheng University (CCU) on Tuesday, NCSIST said.

The memorandum, which was signed by NCSIST President Li Shih-chiang (李世強) and CCU President Tsai Shao-cheng (蔡少正), seeks to integrate resources between the two institutions to build drone supply chains that are independent of Chinese supply chains, as well as advance indigenous defense research and development capabilities.

The head-mounted thermal imaging sight, developed by NCSIST, weighs several hundred grams and can be used during both day and night without requiring any light source, the state-owned defense research center said.

It is resistant to glare, weather, and smoke interference, and uses passive thermal radiation to avoid detection, the institute added.

The off-axis rifle sight system includes a helmet-mounted display and a rifle-mounted scope, NCSIST said.

The system -- which can be used day or night -- allows image transmission from the rifle to the display via wireless connection, facilitating aiming in tight spaces and reducing potential exposure to enemy fire.

The rifle-mounted system can detect humans at distances exceeding 300 meters, while the head-mounted sight can detect soldiers at over 150 meters, NCSIST said.