AN/PVS-5

{{Short description|Night-vision goggle}}

{{more citations needed|date=December 2024}}

{{Infobox night vision device

| name = AN/PVS-5

| image = File:DA-ST-88-05027.jpg

| caption = AN/PVS-5A night vision goggle worn by a US soldier in 1988.

| origin = United States

| type = Passive

| category = Head/helmet mountable

| is_tube = yes

| service = 1972–present{{cite web |last1=McLean |first1=William E. |last2=Rash |first2=Clarence E. |last3=McEntire |first3=Joseph |last4=Braithwaite |first4=Malcolm G. |last5=Mora |first5=John C. |title=A Performance History of AN/PVS-5 and ANVIS Image Intensification Systems in U.S. Army Aviation (Reprint) |url=http://www.usaarl.army.mil/TechReports/98-28.PDF |website=U.S. Army Aeromedical Research Laboratory |access-date=10 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041018160545/http://www.usaarl.army.mil/TechReports/98-28.PDF |archive-date=18 October 2004 |date=May 1998}}

| used_by = United States Armed Forces

| wars = Vietnam War
Operation Eagle Claw
Persian Gulf War
War in Afghanistan
Iraq War

| design_date = 1971

| manufacturer = ITT Industries
Litton Industries

| Produced = 1972{{spaced ndash present}}

| variants = AN/PVS-5, AN/PVS-5A, AN/PVS-5B, AN/PVS-5C

| weight = 850 grams

| dimensions = 6.5" x 6.8" x 4.7"

| resolution = >32 lp/mm

| Op_time = 50 hrs

| mode = Passive

| iitube = MX-9916

| fov = 40 degrees

| detection = 50m (Starlight) 150m (Moonlight)

| zoom = 1×

| generation = 2

}}

The AN/PVS-5 is a dual-tube night-vision goggle used for aviation and ground support. It uses second-generation image-intensifier tubes. The United States Army still has PVS-5 on supply but are very rarely used. The AN/PVS-5 is based on the SU-50 which was a first-generation night-vision goggle adapted by the United States Air Force in 1971. From 1972 until 1990 the AN/PVS-5 was the mainstay in US Army night vision for aviation. The AN/PVS-5C was not approved for flight because of its high-light cut off feature causing the goggle to shut off in bright light. For ground troops the AN/PVS-5 was the sole night-vision goggle until the adaptation of the improved AN/PVS-7.

By today's standards, the PVS-5 was a safety risk for pilots. Issues such as a limited field of view, poor light amplification, inability to read maps, and its excessive weight made it difficult to fly while operating them. In 1982, tests were being made for a suitable replacement for the AN/PVS-5 specifically for aviation. This led to the adaptation of the AN/AVS-6 ANVIS in 1989. The ANVIS was the first night-vision goggle used by the United States Army specifically designed for aviation.

In accordance with the Joint Electronics Type Designation System (JETDS), the "AN/PVS-5" designation represents the 5th design of an Army-Navy electronic device for portable visual detection equipment. The JETDS system also now is used to name all Department of Defense electronic systems.