ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, February 1, 1997 TAG: 9702030088
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: A-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: GREG EDWARDS
ITT Night Vision of Roanoke County has received a $26 million contract from Leica AG of Switzerland to supply its Generation III image intensifier tubes to the Swiss armed forces.
The five-year contract is the largest ITT Night Vision has ever received from an international customer, the company said. "Receipt of this contract further illustrates our commitment to extending Generation III night-fighting capabilities to our international allies," said Neil Gallagher, ITT Night Vision president and general manager.
The Plantation Road plant will supply the night vision tubes to Leica, which will use them in night vision systems that it delivers to the Swiss Army, ITT said. The image intensifier tube, which gathers available light in the night sky and intensifies it to a level the human eye can see, is the key component in night vision systems.
Gallagher said the Leica contract will not affect employment at the Roanoke County plant other than to help sustain the current 670-worker level.
ITT Night Vision is a unit of ITT Defense & Electronics, which has offices in McLean.
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