Measurement of Flash Intensity at the Muzzle of a Firearm and Possible Protection against its Effects

The constant increase in sensitivity of night vision devices used as weapon sights means that the photocathode may be permanently degraded or overexposed, and microchannels may be ”burned out” by muzzle flash of weapon firing. This is manifested by uneven sensitivity of the photocathode surface or black dots in the field of view. The aim of this paper is to analyze the magnitude of the risk of damage to the image intensifier tube by muzzle flash during a shot and, based on this analysis, to propose possible ways of protection of the image intensifier tube from the effects of muzzle flash during a shot.