While body armor and hard armor plates often dominate conversations around soldier safety, ballistic eyewear remains a critical component of modern personal protective equipment. For Revision Military and its sister company Fast Metal, eye protection is treated with the same rigor, testing discipline, and threat awareness as any other element of the soldier system, and rightfully so. At Milipol Paris, we had the pleasure of speaking candidly with Mike Evans, VP Global Sales (Revision), Lesley Minehan, Senior Director (Revision), and Mike Torres, President (Fast Metal).
Based in Vermont, Revision Military has spent more than two decades supplying ballistic-rated eyewear to the U.S. Department of Defense and NATO partners. Today, the company separates itself by being the only eyewear manufacturer producing its ballistic lenses entirely in-house in the United States. “All of our lenses are produced in-house,” said Evans. “Everything that we do, for the most part, supporting the military, DoD, and international space is a ballistic-rated lens, so 750 feet per second level of protection. This level of impact resistance is ensuring protection beyond basic civilian safety by meeting military specs like MIL-PRF-32432A (or older MIL-PRF-3103) for ballistic impact, plus ANSI Z87.1 for civilian standards, UV protection, and resistance to fog, dust, and chemical making them essential for enders in hazardous training and combat. ANZ Z87, EN166 certified.”
Revision’s vertical integration extends beyond manufacturing alone. Revision operates a fully certified U.S. Army testing laboratory at its Vermont facility, allowing the company to conduct extensive internal ballistic and performance testing before submitting products for third-party certification. According to Torres, this approach ensures that no assumptions are made about lens performance at any stage of development .
Unconventional Origins
Revision’s origins trace back more than 20 years to Canada, where the company initially sold eyewear through commercial channels. “The original founder was there [a trade show], and they were selling eyewear through Harley-Davidson,” explained Minehan, laughing. “The Canadian T&E stopped by and said, that’s the perfect eyewear for our military forces!” The pivot toward military applications came unexpectedly, but that moment proved decisive in the future of Revision.
Following this event, the company established operations in Vermont, expanded production capabilities, and began supplying eyewear directly. Revision’s footprint grew substantially, today supporting contracts with the U.S. military, NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA), and numerous allied nations. Revision is currently the sole eyewear supplier to NSPA and serves as the exclusive provider for countries including the United Kingdom, Germany, and Sweden.
Fast Metal: Expanding U.S. Army Eyewear Capacity
Fast Metal operates as a sister company to Revision, established in response to the expansion of the U.S. Army’s Authorized Protective Eyewear List. Mike Torres, President of Fast Metal, noted that the company currently has four products approved in the U.S. Army list and is actively pursuing inclusion in special operations eyewear programs.
Together, Revision and Fast Metal support a plethora of markets through direct e-commerce platforms. Incidentally, professional ballistic capacities aren’t where the demand stops. “We support people all over the world buying from for individual wear,” Torres said. When asked for which purposes, he continued, “You’d be surprised. People buy them to cut their grass. People buy them to go shooting. People buy them just for their everyday wear.” This is an advantage of the design, the lightness and convenience of the sizing making the eyewear attractive for civilians in addition to the military.
Enhancing Comfortability with a Soldier-Centered Design
One area where Revision differentiates itself from competitors is fit. Unlike many eyewear manufacturers offering a single universal size, Revision produces multiple frame sizes across key product lines, including small, regular, and large variants. Adjustable nose pieces further allow customization for individual users. Operational comfort has also driven recent design updates, introducing thinner temple arms specifically engineered to accommodate communications headsets and hearing protection, reducing pressure points that can lead to headaches or migraines during extended wear.
As Evans emphasized, however, the true technology lies in the lens itself. “The frame is really just the vessel,” he said, drawing a comparison to armor carriers. “All of the technology is in the lens.”
Environmental, Prescription, and Laser Protection Capabilities
Beyond standard clear and smoke lenses, Revision has expanded into environment-specific lens technologies that allow users to select eyewear based on operational conditions. The company also offers a range of laser protective lenses. This is an increasingly relevant capability as laser threats proliferate across military, law enforcement, aviation, and civilian environments.
Prescription compatibility is another key capability. Revision holds a contract with PEO Soldier for prescription (RX) carriers, which lock directly into Revision eyewear platforms, enabling soldiers who require corrective lenses to maintain ballistic protection without compromise.
With the evolution of battle threats, ballistic eyewear continues to play a vital role in preserving the safety of those in combat. Through in-house manufacturing, certified testing, and close alignment with military procurement requirements, Revision Military and Fast Metal position eyewear not as an accessory, but as an essential element of modern protective systems.
For an industry often focused on plates and carriers, Revision’s approach serves as a reminder: survivability depends just as much on what protects the eyes as what protects the torso.
