Washington:
The United States Army on Thursday stated it was pushing back the date when it plans to field augmented reality glasses from Microsoft Corp, but that it remains “fully committed” to the contract with the tech firm worth up to $21.9 billion.
The Army stated it expects the 1st units to be equipped with the glasses, referred to as the Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS), by September 2022. Army officials had previously stated that they intended to “rapidly field the capability” in the Army’s fiscal year 2021, which ended on Sept. 30.
Microsoft did not quickly respond to a request for comment.
Defense sector publication Janes earlier this week reported that the Army planned to halt the plan. But on Thursday, the Army stated it had performed some testing of the program last month and that it “plans to execute testing regularly throughout” its fiscal 2022.
The Pentagon’s inspector basic initiated an audit of the IVAS program on Oct. 4 “to determine whether Army officials are producing and fielding Integrated Visual Augmentation System units that meet capability requirements and user needs”, it stated.
The program integrates many technologies like evening and thermal vision as effectively as augmented reality from sensors to provide a heads-up show that enables the soldier to fight, rehearse, and train.
The Army stated that this improves situational awareness, target engagement, and the informed choice-producing vital in a fight.
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