EXOSENS AND THEON INTERNATIONAL ANNOUNCE THE SIGNING OF A CONTRACT WITH OCCAR FOR 100,000 NIGHT-VISION MIKRON BINOCULARS, EMBEDDING 200,000 EXOSENS TUBES FOR A TOTAL VALUE OF APPROXIMATELY €500 MILLION, THE LARGEST FIRM NIGHT-VISION AGREEMENT TO DATE AND MAJOR STEP FOR EUROPEAN DEFENCE CAPABILITIES
PRESS RELEASE
MÉRIGNAC, FRANCE – 10 DECEMBER 2025
- Exosens and Theon International announce the signing of a contract between the THEON/HENSOLDT consortium and OCCAR for 100,000 binocular MIKRON devices, the largest contract ever concluded in the history of night-vision technology, to supply the German Armed Forces.
- This contract embeds 200,000 Exosens 16mm tubes for a total value of more than €500 million and follows previous agreements to equip the German Armed Forces, for deliveries from 2027 to 2029.
- This agreement strengthens Exosens’ position as the key supplier of image intensifier tubes to European Armed Forces, enabling every soldier to be equipped with high-performance products that provide a decisive operational advantage in night-time operations.
- This contract amendment also includes 4,000 devices (ie. 8,000 Exosens 16mm tubes) to the Belgian Armed Forces, a conversion into firm order from existing options.
Exosens, a high-tech company focused on providing mission and performance-critical amplification, detection and imaging technology, in partnership with Theon International, is proud to announce the signing of an unprecedented contract with the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR).
This agreement – likely the largest ever concluded globally in the field of night-vision technology – marks a decisive milestone for Europe, which now stands as a technological leader alongside the United States in this domain.
A long-standing partnership and recognized expertise
This contract is the result of a long-standing and close collaboration between Exosens, Theon International, and the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support, a German government agency for equipping the German Armed Forces (the BAAINBw – Bundesamt für Ausrüstung, Informationstechnik und Nutzung der Bundeswehr). It is grounded in the successful execution of previous programs, characterized by compliance with delivery timelines, rigorous quality standards, and strong operational performance. Exosens reaffirms its commitment to maintaining this level of reliability and excellence throughout the implementation of this new contract embedding Exosens’ 16mm image intensifiers.
“I am extremely proud to announce this contract, which is a strong endorsement of Exosens’ night-vision technology and of the quality of our 16 mm image intensifier tubes. By combining a very compact and lightweight design with outstanding performance, our tubes at the heart of the Theon’s Mikron binocular will give every soldier superior night-time situational awareness and safety. This contract reflects the continuity of our collaboration with the BAAINBw and the German Armed Forces. It rewards years of investment in innovation, industrial excellence, dialogue, and close cooperation with our partners. I would like to thank Philippe Mennicken, Theon’s deputy CEO and of course the German Ministry of Defence, the BAAINBw, OCCAR and Theon’s team for their continued trust,” stated Frédéric Guilhem, Night Vision Chief Commercial Officer at Exosens.
Confirmed trust and large-scale European adoption
The signature of this agreement reflects the confidence placed in Exosens and Theon International by the German Ministry of Defence and OCCAR. This contract requires deliveries of the Mikron binocular, powered by Exosens 16 mm tubes. Theon has committed to more than 400,000 Image Intensifier Tubes (IIT) from Exosens through the latest extension of the Long-Term Commercial Agreement (LTCA) between the two companies announced on 3 December 2025.
This contract also confirms the large-scale adoption of Exosens’ 16 mm tube-based technology, which combines lightweight design with unmatched performance, by NATO forces across Europe. As early as 2015, Germany emerged as a pioneer in night-vision by identifying the potential of this technology, laying the groundwork for a new European standard that has since been adopted by several nations, including Belgium, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Spain, and Poland.
A strategic vision: “One soldier, one goggle”
This contract meets a broad strategic objective of European armed forces. “One soldier, one goggle” is aimed at enabling each soldier to benefit from advanced night-vision capabilities, thereby enhancing operational effectiveness and situational awareness. This approach underscores a commitment to leveraging state-of-the-art technologies to support missions under evolving security conditions.
This partnership paves the way for new opportunities both in Europe and internationally. Exosens and Theon International, working closely with OCCAR and the BAAINBw, continue to push the boundaries of innovation to meet the evolving challenges of modern armed forces.
ABOUT EXOSENS:
Exosens is a high‐tech company, with more than 85 years of experience in the innovation, development, manufacturing and sale of high‐end electro‐optical technologies in the field of amplification, detection and imaging. Today, it offers its customers detection components and solutions such as travelling wave tubes, advanced cameras, neutron & gamma detectors, instrument detectors and light intensifier tubes. This allows Exosens to respond to complex issues in extremely demanding environments by offering tailor‐made solutions to its customers. Thanks to its sustained investments, Exosens is internationally recognized as a major innovator in optoelectronics, with production and R&D carried out on 12 sites, in Europe and North America and with over 2000 employees. Exosens is listed on compartment A of the regulated market of Euronext Paris ﴾Ticker: EXENS – ISIN: FR001400Q9V2﴿. Exosens is a member of Euronext Tech Leaders segment and is also included in several indices, including the SBF 120, CAC All-Tradable, CAC Mid 60, FTSE Total Cap and MSCI France Small Cap. For more information: exosens.com
Media contacts:
Brunswick Group – exosens@brunswickgroup.com
Laetitia Quignon, + 33 6 83 17 89 13
Nicolas Buffenoir, + 33 6 31 89 36 78
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