Gooch & Housego partners with Optex to supply acrylic optics

The partnership combines Optex acrylic periscope products with G&H’s next-generation glass periscope hardware portfolio.

Gail Overton
Aug 22nd, 2019
Gooch & Housego (G&H) is partnering with Optex Systems to provide acrylic sighting instruments to the European market. Shown here are some Optex sighting systems.
Gooch & Housego (G&H) is partnering with Optex Systems to provide acrylic sighting instruments to the European market. Shown here are some Optex sighting systems.
Optex Systems

Advanced photonics company Gooch & Housego (G&H; Ilminster, England) is partnering with Optex Systems (Richardson, TX) for the supply of acrylic-based sighting system technology to meet European customer requirements for a total package single-technology source supply.

G&H designs and manufactures periscopes and sighting systems for armored fighting vehicles under the Kent brand. With a strong footprint in Europe and Asia, G&H supplies glass-based products for both periscope external viewing and system sensor-based imaging by commanders, drivers, and gunners. Combining Optex acrylic periscope products with G&H’s next-generation glass periscope hardware portfolio enables G&H to meet all European market cost, material, and technology requirements.

Frank Weiss, head of G&H Aerospace and Defense, said “Being able to include EAR (non-ITAR), designated acrylic commodity products in addition to glass-based periscope technology to the European market is significant. We aim to supply our customers with the products they need to comply with SWaP-C specifications. In some circumstances, these requirements mean an acrylic product is needed. Being in this strong position to meet our customer needs means we can increase the value we offer with an extended range of solutions.”

Danny Schoening, CEO of Optex Systems, added, “We have been waiting for the proper timing and the correct partner to expand into the European markets, and are pleased to be launching this initiative with G&H, a leading international supplier of unity vision periscopes, vehicle sights and related equipment for armoured fighting vehicles (AFVs) such as tanks, infantry fighting vehicles and armoured personnel carriers. G&H, under the Kent brand, has been a strategic supplier to Optex for over 10 years and this partnership now provides an opening for Optex periscope products in Europe. We look to leverage their well established distribution channels in Europe, and collaboratively, we will align those customer’s applications with the appropriate technology.”

SOURCE: Gooch & Housego; https://gandh.com/gh-announces-optex-partnership/

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