Thales NightRise NVG PANORAMIC: keeping special forces one step ahead

Collaborative combat
Dismounted combat
Defence

Type Insight
Published 22 Oct 2026

For special forces on counter-terrorism and hostage rescue operations, the ability to instantly detect a threat can tilt an operation in their favour. To meet this critical requirement, Thales has developed Thales NightRise NVG PANORAMIC, the quad-tube member of the Thales NightRise NVG family of night vision equipment.

Rendering night-time images as close to direct daylight viewing as possible

The asymmetrical field of view, that mimicks the way the human eye naturally works, allows users to see an obstacle or threat on the ground or close to ground level without making an additional effort to search for it.

In developing the Thales NightRise NVG PANORAMIC, Thales’s centre of excellence for soldier optronics at Saint-Héand, near Saint-Etienne, had to find the much-anticipated solution to a complex challenge – making night-time images resemble direct daylight viewing as closely as possible. Adding to the complexity, they needed to fit this powerful capability into a compact, lightweight package with ultra-intuitive operation.

This latest addition to the Thales NightRise NVG range is considered the best combination of performance, weight, ergonomic design and volume currently available on the market. Thales NightRise NVG PANORAMIC delivers night vision capabilities with an ultra-wide 120-degree field of view, yet it weighs just 740 grams and its compact profile is no wider than the soldier’s helmet. Key to achieving this feat was the world-class expertise in polymer materials of the R&D and production engineering teams at Saint-Héand.

Patented quad-tube architecture

“Thales NightRise NVG PANORAMIC offers a market-leading combination of low weight and wide field of view. Until now, the maximum field of view provided by the best products on the market was around 100 degrees,” explains a Thales expert. A 20-degree increase in field of view represents a major leap forward, enabling users to see blind spots without needing to turn their head to check peripheral areas. In operational terms, it means soldiers can react more quickly – and it reduces the risk of making a movement that could expose their profile or give away their position.

The new product is based on a patented quad-tube architecture. The field of view is asymmetrical, with the two outer tubes angled slightly downwards with respect to the central tubes, mimicking the way the human eye naturally works. This feature allows users to see an obstacle or threat on the ground or close to ground level without making an additional effort to search for it. The equipment also allows soldiers to simultaneously spot different entrances to a room, see side corridors and detect peripheral movements. With previous-generation night vision goggles, users had to choose where to look first.

Ergonomic design for decisive moments

As with Thales NightRise NVG NELLIE, the innovation underpinning Thales NightRise NVG PANORAMIC was based on consultation with members of the armed forces. Alongside performance in terms of image quality and field of view, users said their priorities were simplicity and ergonomics, and ergonomic design was therefore a key area of focus for Thales.

The product has the same features as the Thales NightRise NVG NELLIE. The on/off button, gain control and supplementary lighting controls are all located on the central section between the two pairs of tubes. The intuitive design enables them to find the necessary controls with no hesitation, saving valuable seconds at decisive moments of an operation.The intuitive design enables them to find the necessary controls with no hesitation, saving valuable seconds at decisive moments of an operation.

Thales Expert

Thales NightRise NVG PANORAMIC also offers several flip-up possibilities. In addition to the conventional horizontal and vertical helmet flip-up features, each pair of tubes can be flipped laterally. This is particularly important when moving suddenly from night-time conditions into well-lit environments.

The product's compact design is another standout feature. “The goggle fits seamlessly with the profile of the helmet, minimising interference with the surrounding environment,” notes the Thales expert. The internal battery compartment also makes the product more compact, although an external battery pack is also available if required. Importantly, Thales NightRise NVG PANORAMIC is compatible with the XTRAIM© night-vision weapon sight, simplifying aiming and reducing the number of devices that need to be mounted on the soldier’s helmet.