Updated 10 a.m., Nov. 13: This story has been updated to include a timeline for the expansion.
A manufacturer of low-light night-vision devices for the defense industry will invest $30 million and add 288 jobs at its Roanoke County facility, officials said Wednesday.
Elbit Systems of America will have more than 1,000 employees there after the expansion is complete, according to a news release from Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s office.
Demand for the company’s night-vision systems is growing as “militaries modernize their technologies to heighten situational awareness and successfully operate in all conditions,” Erik Fox, senior vice president and general manager of the company’s Warfighter Systems Division, which is at the Roanoke County site, said in a news release from the company.
“By investing now, Elbit America is demonstrating our commitment to warfighters. We’re positioning ourselves to have the people, expertise, and infrastructure in place to produce the next-generation night vision technology needed in modern warfare,” Fox said.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin said in a news release from his office that the investment will “increase production of the high-quality night vision systems our military relies on every day.”
“With Virginia’s strategic location, business-friendly environment, and robust veteran workforce, Elbit America is poised for continued success and growth in the Commonwealth,” Youngkin said.
Elbit Systems of America spokesperson Amy Hartley said that the expansion should take about four years. Some new positions have already been filled but the company’s capital investment has not yet begun. She declined to provide a more specific figure for how many employees the Roanoke County site will have once the expansion is complete.
Youngkin approved $1.5 million in state grants for the project. The company’s employee recruitment and training will be supported by a state consulting and funding program.
Fort Worth, Texas-based Elbit Systems of America is a subsidiary of Israel-based Elbit Systems Ltd. (NASDAQ:ESLT), which was founded in 1966.
The overall operation employs 20,000 people worldwide, including 3,200 employees across 10 states in the U.S., according to an August 2025 presentation to investors.
Elbit Systems of America’s Roanoke County facility, formerly ITT Night Vision and Exelis Inc., is on Plantation Road next to the Wells Fargo customer support center.
Elbit Systems of America is a “leading provider of high-performance products, system solutions, and support services across the defense, homeland security, law enforcement, commercial aviation, and medical instrumentation markets,” according to the governor’s news release.
Its night-vision devices include binoculars, monoculars and goggles, according to its website.
“Elbit America’s continued investment in Roanoke County underscores the region’s long history of supporting the nation’s defense through advanced manufacturing and innovation,” John Hull, president and CEO of the Roanoke Regional Partnership, a regional economic development organization, said in the release.