US Army Mothballs 10,000 IVAS Goggles After $2 Billion Investment
The US Army is shelving nearly 10,000 Microsoft-developed IVAS augmented-reality goggles after a GAO report found them unfit for fielding due to poor low-light performance, discomfort, and failure to outperform legacy gear. The $2 billion program, criticized for inadequate testing and ignoring user feedback, will transition to a new rapid prototyping effort called Soldier Borne Mission Command (SBMC), now contracted to Anduril for $159 million.
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US Army to Mothball 10,000 IVAS Goggles After $2 Billion Investment
A Government Accountability Office (GAO) report reveals that the US Army will mothball nearly 10,000 units of its Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) augmented-reality goggles after investing nearly $2 billion over seven years. The headsets, developed by Microsoft, were found to be uncomfortable, heavy, and less effective than existing equipment. Versions 1.0 and 1.1 will remain in storage, while Version 1.2 will inform a new rapid prototyping effort called Soldier Borne Mission Command (SBMC), now contracted to Anduril. The GAO criticized the program for moving to production without adequate operational testing and for failing to incorporate user feedback. Anduril will conduct continuous assessments on the new system.
Army TimesUS Army to mothball 10,000 IVAS goggles after GAO report finds them unusable
A Government Accountability Office (GAO) report reveals that the US Army will mothball nearly 10,000 units of its Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) augmented-reality goggles after years of development and nearly $2 billion in investment. The GAO found that versions 1.0 and 1.1 were deemed not ready for fielding due to poor performance in low-light conditions, excessive weight, and failure to outperform legacy equipment. Version 1.2 will be used to inform a new rapid prototyping effort called Soldier Borne Mission Command (SBMC), now contracted to Anduril after Microsoft lost the contract. The report criticizes the program for moving into production without adequate operational testing and for failing to incorporate user feedback effectively.
C4ISRNetUS Army to Mothball 10,000 IVAS Goggles After $2 Billion Investment
A Government Accountability Office (GAO) report reveals that the US Army will mothball nearly 10,000 units of its Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) augmented-reality goggles after years of development and nearly $2 billion in investments. The GAO found that three versions of the goggles developed between 2018 and 2025 were deemed not ready for fielding due to poor performance, discomfort, and failure to outperform existing equipment. Soldiers reported the headsets were difficult to wear and performed worse than legacy night-vision gear. The program's failure is attributed to inadequate user feedback integration and insufficient operational testing. However, the IVAS concept will transition to a new rapid prototyping effort called Soldier Borne Mission Command (SBMC), now contracted to Anduril, which received $159 million for initial prototyping. Anduril's solution aims to provide augmented reality and AI-enhanced battlefield awareness, building on lessons from IVAS.
Military TimesUS Army to mothball 10,000 IVAS augmented reality goggles after $2 billion investment
The US Army is shelving nearly 10,000 units of its Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) augmented reality goggles after years of development and nearly $2 billion in spending, according to a Government Accountability Office report. The GAO found that versions 1.0 and 1.1 were deemed not ready for fielding and will remain in storage, with soldiers reporting the headsets were difficult to wear and performed worse than existing equipment. Version 1.2 will be used to inform a new rapid prototyping effort called Soldier Borne Mission Command (SBMC), now contracted to Anduril after Microsoft lost the contract. The GAO criticized the program for moving into production without adequate operational testing and failing to incorporate user feedback, resulting in a product less useful than legacy night vision gear.
Army TimesUS Army to mothball 10,000 IVAS goggles after $2 billion investment, GAO report finds
A Government Accountability Office (GAO) report reveals that the US Army will mothball nearly 10,000 units of its Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) augmented-reality goggles after spending nearly $2 billion over seven years. The headsets, developed between 2018 and 2025, were deemed not ready for fielding due to poor performance in low-light conditions, excessive weight, and failure to outperform legacy equipment. User feedback from versions 1.0 and 1.1 was not adequately addressed in version 1.2. The program is being transitioned to a new rapid prototyping effort called Soldier Borne Mission Command (SBMC), now contracted to Anduril, which received $159 million. Microsoft previously held the contract. The GAO faulted the program for moving into production without sufficient operational testing.
C4ISRNetUS Army to Mothball 10,000 IVAS Goggles After $2 Billion Investment, GAO Report Reveals
A Government Accountability Office (GAO) report reveals the US Army is mothballing nearly 10,000 Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) goggles after investing nearly $2 billion over seven years. The augmented-reality headsets, developed by Microsoft, were deemed not ready for fielding due to poor performance in low-light conditions, excessive weight, and failure to outperform legacy equipment. Three versions (1.0, 1.1, and 1.2) were produced between 2018 and 2025, but all were found unsuitable. The program will transition to a new rapid prototyping effort called Soldier Borne Mission Command (SBMC), now contracted to Anduril for $159 million. The GAO criticized the program for moving into production without adequate operational testing and failing to incorporate user feedback. Anduril's solution aims to integrate night vision, augmented reality, and AI into a single system, with continuous operational assessments planned.
Army TimesUS Army to mothball 10,000 IVAS augmented reality goggles after $2 billion investment
The US Army is shelving nearly 10,000 units of its Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) augmented reality goggles after years of development and nearly $2 billion in investments, according to a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report. The GAO found that versions 1.0 and 1.1 were deemed not ready for fielding due to poor performance in low-light conditions, discomfort, and excessive weight. Soldiers reported the headsets were less useful than existing equipment. The program will transition to a new rapid prototyping effort called Soldier Borne Mission Command (SBMC), now contracted to Anduril, which will use 400 version 1.2 goggles to inform the new design. The GAO criticized the program for moving into production without adequate operational testing and failing to incorporate user feedback.
Military TimesUS Army to mothball 10,000 IVAS goggles after GAO report finds them unfit for fielding
The US Army is shelving nearly 10,000 units of its Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) after a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found the augmented-reality goggles were not ready for fielding. Developed between 2018 and 2025 at a cost of nearly $2 billion, versions 1.0 and 1.1 were deemed obsolete and will remain in storage. Soldiers reported the headsets were difficult to wear and performed worse than legacy equipment. Version 1.2, which failed to address comfort and low-light issues, will inform a new rapid prototyping effort called Soldier Borne Mission Command (SBMC), now contracted to Anduril. The GAO criticized the program for moving to production without adequate operational testing and for failing to incorporate user feedback. Anduril received a $159 million contract for SBMC, which aims to integrate night vision, augmented reality, and AI into a single system.
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