The Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) is part of a broader effort to modernize U.S. military operations. Back in 2018, Microsoft won a contract from the US Army to develop a mixed-reality headset to help soldiers train, rehearse, and fight. Microsoft used HoloLens technology to develop the IVAS headset for the US army.
Today, Anduril Industries announced a new partnership with Microsoft to improve the Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) Program. Anduril Industries is a defense technology startup working on bringing advanced technology solutions to U.S. and allied military capabilities. As part of this partnership, Anduril is integrating its Lattice platform into the IVAS ecosystem, to improve the capabilities fielded to Soldiers through IVAS. Through this integration, soldiers can see real-time threats across the battlespace. Lattice-enabled IVAS headsets can warn soldiers about incoming autonomously-detected airborne threats, and more.
Palmer Luckey, Founder of Anduril Industries and Oculus VR, is leading this new IVAS integration initiative for Anduril.
Palmer Luckey, Founder of Anduril Industries, said:
"This project is my top priority at Anduril, and it has been for some time now. It’s one of the Army’s most critical programs being fielded in the near future, with the goal of getting the right data to the right people at the right time. This is Anduril’s bread and butter, and we’ve been building the backbone for this for years. I can’t wait to show our customers what’s next — I’m incredibly excited about what’s to come.”
Robin Seiler, Corporate Vice President of Mixed Reality at Microsoft, said:
"IVAS is more than the sum of its parts. Through integration across existing and new software and sensors, IVAS brings a full picture of the battlefield to every soldier, enabling safer and more effective operations. Our collaboration with Anduril to integrate their suite of critical sensors, along with their groundbreaking Lattice system into IVAS, demonstrates the transformative capability of this fighting goggle and will allow us to further expand the impact IVAS will have for every U.S. soldier."
While Microsoft is the primary contractor for IVAS 1.2, the DoD still has not decided anything about the IVAS vNext contract. Whether Microsoft will be part of the IVAS vNext contract remains a big question since Microsoft has moved on from its HoloLens technology. Anduril, however, is confident about IVAS vNext through its partnership with Microsoft.
An Anduril spokesperson provided the following statement to DefenseScoop:
“We’re closely following the developments around IVAS-next and are confident that the combined strengths of Anduril and Microsoft can deliver a solution that enhances both soldier survivability and lethality. We will continue to monitor IVAS-next, and as always, we are committed to positioning ourselves to do what’s best for the warfighter, staying true to our mission of delivering the most effective solutions.”
This partnership highlights the ongoing efforts to leverage cutting-edge technology to equip soldiers with advanced tools, ultimately enhancing their safety and effectiveness in combat situations.
Source: Anduril