Night Vision Devices Market Size, Share & COVID-19 Impact Analysis, By Device Type (Binoculars and Monocular, Cameras, Glasses, Goggles, and Scopes), By Application (Border surveillance, Engineering, Fire and Rescue, Law Enforcement, Maritime & Coastal surveillance, Medical, Security, and Others (Natural Resource Agency Applications, etc.), and Regional Forecast, 2020-2027

The global night vision devices market size was USD 4.66 billion in 2019 and is projected to reach USD 15.71 billion by 2032, exhibiting a CAGR of 9.80% during the forecast period.

The rise in popularity of night vision devices (NVDs) in military & defense applications is enabling soldiers to perform various military operations without endangering life. These NVDs will observe extensive growth in the forecast period. This growth is attributable to increasing concerns for border investigation and integration of advanced technologies such as image intensification, and thermal imaging intensifier in NVDs. NVDs such as night vision goggles find several uses in the military and defense sector such as surveillance, combat, and rescue activities.

NIGHT VISION DEVICE MARKET TRENDS

Rising Adoption of the NVDs Integrated with Near-infrared (NIR) Imaging Technology for Security and Surveillance Applications to Aid Market Growth

The integration of near-infrared (NIR) imaging technology in the night vision devices is deemed as one of the major innovations. It allows soldiers to attack and reveal the location of the victims in any weather conditions. The adoption of advanced NIR devices is growing due to the ability to detect and track motions occurring under the cloak of darkness. Key players in the market are focusing on launching advanced products to improve the customer experience.

• For instance, in March 2020, OmniVision Technologies, Inc. launched its second-generation near-infrared (NIR) technology – "Nyxel 2" for the night-vision and machine-vision applications. This technology provides greater sight range, higher quality, and can operate in low to no ambient light conditions.

DRIVING FACTORS

Rising Military and Defense Expenditure to Drive the Market

The rise in terrorist activities, political tensions over border issues, and security & safety concerns have led to a massive demand for NVDs across the military and defense industry. The military and defense industry is adopting NVDs to cater to the increasing demand for night patrolling and combat operations. The rising government investments on NVDs by countries such as China, India, Germany, Russia, the US, and others are expected to propel the market size during the expected period.

• According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) Military Expenditure Database, in 2019, the global military expenditure is estimated at around USD 1,917 billion, with 3.6% higher than in 2018.


• Also, in March 2018, The U.S. Army invested around USD 97 million in the BAE Systems to provide its thermal weapon sights, and enhanced night vision goggle III (ENVG III/FWS-I).

RESTRAINING FACTORS

High Costs Associated with Night Vision Devices to Inhibit the Market Growth

The market is growing at a rapid pace owing to its multi-tasking abilities across various military and defense applications. However, high manufacturing costs owing to the use of special materials such as night vision optics and use of the expensive third-generation technology are likely to limit the market growth. The high cost of NVDs including night vision goggles is limiting their uptake and therefore these devices are used only for military purposes. Some manufacturers are compelled to keep the prices high owing to certain political issues. This might slow the adoption of NVDs such as goggles and scopes in the market.

NIGHT VISION DEVICE MARKET SEGMENTATION ANALYSIS

By Device Type Analysis

Glasses Segment is Anticipated to Exhibit a High Growth Rate in the Coming Years

Based on the device type, the market is segmented into binoculars and monocular cameras, glasses, goggles, and scopes. The scopes sub-segment is further categorized into rifle scopes and handheld scopes.

Among all segments, the goggles segment held the largest night vision devices market share in 2019. The growth in the segment is owing to the increasing demand of the night vision goggles from the military and defense sector. Also, the rising investment and research & development activities conducted to upgrade night vision devices are expected to fuel the market.

Further, the glasses segment is expected to grow at a considerable rate. The growth of the glasses segment is attributed to lower maintenance costs, and ability to reduce glare by scattering and filtering out harsh blue light. Also, the binoculars and monocular, cameras, and scopes segments are expected to develop with a considerable CAGR during the period 2020-2027. Rising demand for scopes, binoculars, cameras, and others, in applications such as border surveillance, medical, security, and law enforcement fuel the night vision devices (NVDs) market growth.

By Application Analysis

Border Surveillance Segment is Expected to Grow Significantly in the Forecast Period

Based on the application, the market is further segregated into border surveillance, engineering, fire and rescue, law enforcement, maritime & coastal surveillance, medical, security, and others

The border surveillance segment accounted for the largest share and is expected to register substantial growth during the forecast period. The growth is attributable to the increasing demand for night vision security & IR illuminator equipment, panoramic surveillance & thermal imaging cameras, and the integration of internet protocol (IP) technology in surveillance cameras.

The medical segment is expected to grow at a considerable rate. The growth in this segment is owing to the rising adoption of these devices such as thermal imager in the medical and healthcare industry. The thermal imager provides infrared images of the human body which is useful in the evaluation of blood flow and muscular performance and detect feverish persons in a crowd. Also, other segments are estimated to grow with considerable CAGR. This is mainly owing to the rising demand for NVDs across engineering, fire and rescue, law enforcement, maritime & coastal surveillance, and others.

COVID-19 IMPACT

Adoption of Advanced NVDs to Create Growth Opportunities Amid COVID-19 Crisis

Governments across the world are developing stringent surveillance mechanisms to address the surge of COVID-19. Furthermore, to overcome the pandemic, organizations are restructuring their business continuity models by investing in advanced models. Drones enabled with night vision cameras assist police to identify the location of people gatherings without maintaining social distancing standards. The device also helps to identify individuals who are not wearing masks in public places. For instance, in May 2020, the government of Italy and the Italian Civil Aviation Authority (ENAC) approved the adoption of advanced drones enabled with night vision cameras to monitor the movement of the public during the coronavirus pandemic. This strategy would assist the government to cope up with the coronavirus pandemic. At present, the use of thermal imaging night vision devices is in focus as these devices are also enabling detection of high body temperature in an individual.

REGIONAL NIGHT VISION DEVICE MARKET INSIGHTS

Geographically, the market is segmented across five major regions, namely North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East & Africa, and Latin America. They are further categorized into countries.

North America is expected to dominate the market in terms of night vision google market share during the forecast period. Rising security breaches and growing dependency is boosting the demand for night vision solutions across countries such as the US and Canada. The US and Canada central governments are opting for night vision solutions to provide enhanced security measures across public applications.

• For instance, in 2019, military investment in the US was accounted for around USD 732 billion, which grew by 5.3% from last year. The US accounted for around 38% of global military spending in 2019.

Asia Pacific is expected to grow exponentially in the coming years. The growth attributable to rising demand for location-based devices across government sectors, public transportation such as airports, railway stations, and bus stations. Further, rising military expenditures in the region will drive demand for NVDs across several industries.

• According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, in 2019, Southeast Asia invested around USD 34.5 billion on the military and defense sector, which increased by around 4.2% from 2018.

Europe is expected to rise at a considerable substantial CAGR during the forecast period. This growth is attributable to the presence of a considerable number of key manufacturers. The Middle East & Africa (MEA) and Latin America regions are expected to experience a gradual CAGR during the prediction period. This growth is owing to the rising investment by the local government to adopt advanced NVDs devices such as cameras, goggles, glasses, and others.

KEY INDUSTRY PLAYERS

Emphasis of Key Players towards Developing Innovative Night Vision Devices to Strengthen the Competitive Landscape

Major players such as BAE System Plc, Thales Group, Elbit Systems of America LLC are proactively strengthening their market position by upgrading their existing product lines to cater to the military applications. Also, key suppliers are now integrating the NVDs with advanced technology such as thermal cameras, infrared cameras, GPS, and others to enhance the products and services and deliver high-tech NVDs. Further, the government organizations are allocating funds to uplift the military & defense sector is further propelling the market.

LIST OF KEY COMPANIES PROFILED:

• BAE System Plc (Farnborough, United Kingdom)


• Leonardo S.p.A. (Rome, Italy)


• Thales Group (La Défense, France)


• Elbit Systems of America, LLC (ELBIT SYSTEMS LTD) (Fort Worth, Texas, United States)


• FLIR Systems, Inc. (Wilsonville, Oregon, United States)


• Night Vision Devices, Inc. (Pennsylvania, United States)


• N-Vision Optics, LLC (Massachusetts, United States)


• Safran Vectronix AG (Heerbrugg, Switzerland)


• Adams Industries, Inc. (Los Angeles, California, United States)  


• Excelitas Technologies Corp. (Waltham, Massachusetts, United States)


• Opgal Optronic Industries Ltd. (Israel)


• Dali Technology Co., Ltd. (Zhejiang, China)

KEY INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS:

• February 2019: - Thermoteknix Systems Ltd. launched its advanced TiCAM 1000C Biocular Target Locator System at the Security & Policing security event 2019. It is a hand-held camera used for observation, surveillance, and security applications. It is also suitable for dark environments and poor weather conditions.


• February 2019: - Thales Group announced the co-development of ELFIE night vision devices in collaboration with armed force manufacturer MKU Ltd in India.  ELFIE will offer easy mobility and a night combat facility. The product can be used via helmet-mounted or weapon-mounted, it is suitable for left and right eyes. 

REPORT COVERAGE

The night vision devices market research report provides a detailed analysis of the market and focuses on key aspects such as leading companies, product types, and leading applications of the product. Besides this, the report offers insights into the market trends and highlights key industry developments. In addition to the aforementioned factors, the report encompasses several factors that have contributed to the growth of the advanced market over the recent years.

REPORT SCOPE AND SEGMENTATION