L3Harris at Eurosatory 2026: NOVA and Wraith Shield

Add us to your favourites on Google.

Why add us? Get the latest from Zona Militar in your Google feed.

L3Harris at Eurosatory 2026

L3Harris attended Eurosatory 2026 with a product portfolio closely aligned with modern battlefield priorities: night vision that can be fielded affordably at scale, and a low-cost, distributed response to the drone threat. The global leader in tactical communications and imaging systems used this latest Paris defence and security exhibition to unveil NOVA, its new night-vision binocular, and Wraith Shield, a software upgrade that turns Falcon IV family radios into nodes within a portable, intelligent C-UAS system.

Zona Militar had the opportunity to interview Kevin Steubing, Vice President of International Sales and Business, and Brenna Baker, President of Integrated Vision Solutions at L3Harris Technologies. They provided the latest details on the NOVA NVGs, Wraith Shield C-UAS capability and the company’s expectations for Eurosatory 2026.

NOVA: night-vision binoculars for the entire force

NOVA is L3Harris’ latest night-vision goggle, commercially derived from the company’s work on the US Army’s BiNOD (Binocular Night Observation Device) programme. Development began in 2021 with a clearly defined aim: to replace legacy monocular systems with an affordable binocular platform that could be deployed in large numbers. In April 2026, the US Army selected NOVA under that programme, awarding L3Harris a seven-year production contract worth up to USD 465 million.

The NOVA is built around an integrated tube architecture intended to simplify servicing and prolong the system’s operational life. It uses high-gain Gen 3 unfilmed image-intensifier tubes, with an anti-bloom function on the lower-gain variants. Its housing meets the IP68 immersion-resistance standard, while the system automatically switches off when folded in either monocular or binocular configuration.

Its binocular layout improves depth perception, enabling soldiers to manoeuvre more effectively across terrain. Equally importantly, its integrated illuminator ensures threats can be detected in ultra-low-light conditions, all within a lighter package-an important factor for personnel who must remain in the field for several hours.

NOVA was also designed to reduce logistical and maintenance demands, with a configuration that can be adapted to operational conditions when set-up work is required. In addition, L3Harris has streamlined certain elements of the NOVA design, reducing the need for highly specialised maintenance personnel.

L3Harris presents NOVA as a complement to its higher-end systems-the GPNG, ENVG-B and BNVD-which are intended for special operations troops and specialised direct-action units. By adding NOVA to its portfolio, L3Harris is targeting the remainder of the force structure: soldiers, border-patrol agents and tactical officers who currently lack quality night vision.

Having delivered more than 20,000 ENVG-B units to the US Army, and with the first NOVA deliveries scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2026, L3Harris is reinforcing and continuing to expand its position as the benchmark provider of night vision for Western forces.

Wraith Shield: tactical C-UAS protection

Wraith Shield is founded on a disruptive concept: turning the Falcon IV family of tactical radios-with more than 100,000 units deployed among US forces, NATO, Five Eyes and allied nations-into nodes in a portable C-UAS system, without requiring any additional hardware. The capability is enabled through a software upgrade to the Wraith waveform, developed between 2022 and 2023 with extensive involvement from Ukraine.

Falcon IV radios as distributed C-UAS nodes

The system operates in partnership with DataShapes AI, whose GlobalEdge platform converts radio-frequency (RF) data collected by the radios into actionable intelligence in real time, directly at the tactical edge and without reliance on cloud servers or centralised processing. The process works as follows: the radio already scans the spectrum to locate other friendly radios using Wraith, creating a local ad hoc network. Wraith Shield adds the ability to identify the signals used by an adversary to control its drones, distribute that information across the local network, and coordinate every radio on that network to transmit white noise on the same channel, disrupting the control signal.

The current version of Wraith Shield can coordinate simultaneous jamming from 40 Falcon radios-enough to equip an infantry platoon-with the aim of reaching 100 radios in a future update. The first deployment platform is the compact RF-9820S (AN/PRC-171) radio, while an embedded version for the RF-9820S-ER is planned for later in 2026. The system will also be available as an upgrade for other Wraith-compatible radios, including the AN/PRC-158C, AN/PRC-163 and AN/PRC-167 models. Wraith Shield is intended to form part of a layered defence: while it neutralises small drones using commercial command links, larger systems such as L3Harris’ own VAMPIRE and Drone Guardian focus on bigger threats.