TKN-1 Commander’s Night Vision Device

Imagine being the commander of a T-55. It’s 02:00. The crew is tense. Outside — absolute darkness. Your driver can’t see a thing, the gunner is flying blind, and the infantry somewhere ahead of you has no idea you’re coming. Then you press your eyes to the TKN-1, and suddenly — the world lights up.

That is exactly what this device was designed to do. And it does it rather well.

The TKN-1 is a combined day/night binocular periscope, designed for tank and armoured vehicle commanders of the Warsaw Pact. It was fitted as standard equipment in the commander’s cupola of the T-54, T-55 and T-62 tanks, as well as the BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle and the BRDM-2 armoured reconnaissance car. In short — if it had a red star on it and a commander’s hatch, there’s a good chance one of these was inside.

During the day, it gives you a clean 5x magnified view of the battlefield through its wide-angle optics. At night, paired with the vehicle’s infrared illuminator, it provides active night vision with a practical observation range of 300 to 400 metres — more than enough to spot what’s lurking in the dark, long before anyone spots you.

Features:

• Combined day/night operation — one device for all conditions
• 5x optical magnification in day mode
• Active infrared night vision mode with approx. 300-400 m range
• Binocular eyepiece for reduced eye fatigue during long watches
• Compatible with T-54, T-55, T-62, BMP-1, BRDM-2 and other Warsaw Pact vehicles
• Robust, all-metal Soviet military construction — built to survive, not to impress

A word on condition

Our TKN-1 units come from Polish Army’s Cold War reserve. They are in NOS condition. They have not been tested, but they should be in working – optics are clean and clear, mechanics operate smoothly. As with any device of this age, minor cosmetic wear on the body is to be expected. This is a piece of real military history, not a showroom dummy. At an additional cost we can test your unit and make sure, that it operates as it should.

Compatible accessories

If you’re restoring a T-55 or BMP-1 to full working specification, you’ll want to pair the TKN-1 with the correct OU-3GA infrared spotlight — the device needs an active IR illuminator to function in night mode. We have these available separately. Contact us if you’d like to order both together.

Warranty

All untested TKN-1 units are being sold is “as is” condition, without any promise of being in working condition or warranty on them. The tested units come with a 12-month warranty for business customers and 24 months for private individuals.

Shipping

The device will be carefully packed and shipped from Jarocin, Poland. Delivery to Germany and most EU countries takes 3-7 working days. Shipping cost will be calculated at checkout based on your location. If you need it urgently, express 48-hour delivery can be arranged at an additional cost.

As always, personal collection from our warehouse in Jarocin is also very welcome — and you’ll get to look through it yourself before taking it home.

Contact us for any questions, bulk orders, or if you need help identifying the correct variant for your specific vehicle.