The company was founded in
Ghent in as (Precision Optics and Instruments), as an effort of Belgium to develop its own optical industry for its
army. From its foundation until the 1950s, OIP developed military lenses and objectives, medical and scientific microscopes, as well as cameras and photocopy machines for the industry. From the 1960s on, it was one of the first European companies to enter the emerging
electro-optical market, with innovations such as one of the first
heads-up display for the
Lockheed F-104 Starfighter and fire control systems for the
Leopard 1 battle tanks in
Belgium,
Canada and
Australia together with
SABCA. The company also manufactures
holographic night vision goggles, and participates in space projects. The company OIP is organized in two branches and 3 departments. The two branches are: - OIP Sensor Systems (blue) - OIP Land Systems (green) Inside OIP Sensor Systems are the defense and the space division (yellow). With over a century of experience, OIP SENSOR SYSTEMS specializes in the design, development & production of customized electro-optical systems for both defense & space. OIP Sensor Systems’ application areas comprise Day/night Observation, Targeting, Sighting & situational awareness for defense, law enforcement & security. == See also ==