Night Vision Goggles Aid Antarctic Medical Evacuation

Night Vision Goggles (NVGs) from Elbit America were key in the successful completion of a high-stakes emergency medical evacuation from a U.S. research base in Antarctica.

The U.S. National Science Foundation requested an emergency evacuation from the New Zealand Defense Force for three researchers needing medical care that could not be provided in Antarctica, with one patient requiring urgent treatment. Despite extreme winter weather, a crew aboard a Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) C-130J Hercules immediately undertook the mission. Mid-winter flights to Antarctica and landings on the ice are among the most difficult missions for air crews, due to unpredictable weather and the lack of available airfields for diversion once the aircraft passes a certain point south.

Elbit America’s F4949 (AN/AVS-9) aviation night vision goggles played a critical role in enabling the air crew to fly safely during night operations in unpredictable and dangerous weather conditions. The technology enhanced situational awareness and navigation, which directly contributed to mission success by ensuring the timely and safe transport of the patients.

The aircraft was pre-positioned in Christchurch, New Zealand. When the crew found a solid weather window on a chilly Tuesday afternoon, they took off, flying through pitch-black skies to perform the medical evacuation. The crew used Elbit’s night vision goggles to successfully land at McMurdo Station in Antarctica and return to Christchurch. The entire mission, including the brief time on the ice, required nearly 20 hours to complete. A doctor and other medical personnel from the New Zealand Defence Force were onboard to care for the patients throughout the flight, and all three individuals received the necessary medical attention.

Frank Loftus, a regional account manager with Elbit America’s Warfighter Systems, stated, “We were thrilled to hear that our F4949 aviator night vision goggles were instrumental in supporting the Royal New Zealand Air Force in their successful rescue operations. This is another example that demonstrates how this critical technology can be deployed outside of traditional defense missions to provide lifesaving support. In addition to supplying many night vision goggles to this user group, technicians from the Royal New Zealand Air Force have attended extensive maintenance training in our Roanoke, Virginia facility. These trainings are provided by our Customer Repair Services team. This successful evacuation story demonstrates our collective focus on operational readiness, so the right equipment was fit for flight at just the right time.”

Elbit America supplies the RNZAF with mission-critical night vision technology, with the first F4949 aviation goggles purchased by the RNZAF in the early 2000s, followed by additional purchases over the years. The F4949 night vision goggle system, first developed in 1992, is designed to give fixed and rotary-wing aviators enhanced visual clarity to identify targets and avoid obstacles. The system is in service in over 60 countries and is the standard night-flying system for the U.S. Air Force and Navy.