Uploaded April 2024 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
First issued to US troops in Vietnam in 1967, the AN/PVS-2 was the first modern passive "Starlight" night vision scope to see combat. Though heavy, bulky, and plagued with problems, it nonetheless set the stage for nearly all military night vision technology up to the present day.
A huge shout-out to the amazing viewer (who asked to remain anonymous) who sent me this fascinating (and fully functional) scope to look at!
0:00 Introduction
1:47 Overview of Gen 1 Technology
3:09 Development of Gen 2 Technology
4:16 AN/PVS-2: External Features
8:29 AN/PVS-2: Disassembly
9:30 AN/PVS-2: Practical Demonstration
10:46 Gen1 Deployment and Flaws
11:57 Gen 2 Technology and the AN/PVS-4
13:59 Gen 2 Technology Overview
15:00 Current Technological Improvements
17:19 Outro
SOURCES:
ima-usa.com/products/original-u-s-army-vietnam-era-an-pvs-2-starlight-night-vision-scope-with-transit-chest?variant=40457903669317
ar15.com/forums/ar-15/AN_PVS_2_Starlight_Scope/123-521778
books.google.ca/books?id=g-QXAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false
petapixel.com/2018/06/07/a-radioactive-lens
http://aunv.blackice.com.au/userfiles/david-an-pvs4_technical_manual.pdf
spie.org/samples/PM165.pdf
smallarmsreview.com/night-vision-in-vietnam
photonics.com/Articles/Image_Intensification_The_Technology_of_Night/a25144
hep.ph.ic.ac.uk/fets/pepperpot/docs+papers/ebvin.pdf
m14br.com/forum/u-s-battle-rifles/the-m14-rifle/28089-random-pics-of-an-early-m14-night-vision-scope-an-pvs-3a
First issued to US troops in Vietnam in 1967, the AN/PVS-2 was the first modern passive "Starlight" night vision scope to see combat. Though heavy, bulky, and plagued with problems, it nonetheless set the stage for nearly all military night vision technology up to the present day.
A huge shout-out to the amazing viewer (who asked to remain anonymous) who sent me this fascinating (and fully functional) scope to look at!
0:00 Introduction
1:47 Overview of Gen 1 Technology
3:09 Development of Gen 2 Technology
4:16 AN/PVS-2: External Features
8:29 AN/PVS-2: Disassembly
9:30 AN/PVS-2: Practical Demonstration
10:46 Gen1 Deployment and Flaws
11:57 Gen 2 Technology and the AN/PVS-4
13:59 Gen 2 Technology Overview
15:00 Current Technological Improvements
17:19 Outro
SOURCES:
ima-usa.com/products/original-u-s-army-vietnam-era-an-pvs-2-starlight-night-vision-scope-with-transit-chest?variant=40457903669317
ar15.com/forums/ar-15/AN_PVS_2_Starlight_Scope/123-521778
books.google.ca/books?id=g-QXAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false
petapixel.com/2018/06/07/a-radioactive-lens
http://aunv.blackice.com.au/userfiles/david-an-pvs4_technical_manual.pdf
spie.org/samples/PM165.pdf
smallarmsreview.com/night-vision-in-vietnam
photonics.com/Articles/Image_Intensification_The_Technology_of_Night/a25144
hep.ph.ic.ac.uk/fets/pepperpot/docs+papers/ebvin.pdf
m14br.com/forum/u-s-battle-rifles/the-m14-rifle/28089-random-pics-of-an-early-m14-night-vision-scope-an-pvs-3a
