Not terribly new, but now the standard in NV for US Troops. Regular "Night Vision" amplifies ambient light, so it will not work in really low light conditions without an IR, (Infra Red), illuminator. Infra Red is used since it cannot be seen by the human eye, but can be spotted via other means. Thermal imaging detects very slight changes in heat signatures to produce an image. By going grey, instead of the usual rainbow detection pattern, image clarity is greatly enhanced. Thermal can see through fog, smoke and thin obstacles, while night vision cannot. Thermal also does not require an illuminator, which can easily be traced back to the user. I have fired weapons with the latest Thermal imaging on them and the clarity and definition is quite impressive.
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