September 5, 2022
Microsoft’s combat goggles known as Integrated Visual Augmentation System or (IVAS), have passed the first delivery test for the U.S. Army.
Assistant Secretary for Acquisition Douglas Bush had initially approved the delivery of 5,000 Goggles, but due to concerns about the device’s performance, delivery was put on hold until stricter tests were carried out.
Bush spokesman Jamal Beck said the test results show the service “is adjusting its fielding plan to allow for time to correct deficiencies and also filed to units that are focused on training activities.”
The test report will help Congress decide whether to approve the $424.2 million the Army plans to spend for the fiscal year that begins Oct.
A final test report is expected next month and is being prepared by the Pentagon’s director of operational test and evaluation.
The Army placed its first order for 5,000 Goggles, worth $373 million, in March 2021, marking the first of 121,000 possible orders over a decade.
Microsoft’s IVAS is a customized version of Microsoft’s HoloLens goggles, which would allow commanders to project information onto a visor in front of a soldier’s face. It would also include features such as night vision.
The sources for this piece include an article in Bloomberg.
