Oct 14 Reuters - The United States Army said on Thursday that it was pushing back the date when it plans to manufacture augmented reality glasses from Microsoft Corp, but remains fully committed to the contract with the tech firm worth up to $21.9 billion.
The Army said it expects the first units to be equipped with the glasses, called the integrated visual Augmentation System IVAS by September 2022. Army officials previously said that they planned to quickly field the capability in the Army's fiscal year 2021, which ended on 30 Sept..
Defence industry publication Janes earlier this week reported that the Army had planned to stop the program. But on Thursday the Army said it had performed a random test of the system last month and that it plans to perform testing regularly throughout its fiscal 2022 fiscal year.
The Pentagon inspector general started https: Media.defense. PDF an audit of the IVAS system on Oct. 4 to determine whether Army officials are producing and fielding Integrated Visual Augmentation Systems units that meet capability requirements and user needs it said.
The system integrates multiple technologies like night and thermal vision and augmented reality from sensors to provide a heads-up display that allows the soldier to fight, prepare and train.
The Army said that this improves situational awareness, the objective engagement and the informed decision-making necessary in a fight.