Integrated Visual Augmentation System
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| Integrated Visual Augmentation System | |
|---|---|
| Basic Info | |
| VR/AR | Augmented reality, Mixed reality |
| Type | Head-mounted display |
| Creator | United States Army |
| Developer | Microsoft (2018-2025); Anduril Industries (prime contractor from April 2025) |
| Manufacturer | Microsoft |
| Announcement Date | November 2018 (prototyping agreement awarded to Microsoft) |
| Release Date | Not fielded; the Army ceased testing, production and future fielding in April 2025 |
| Versions | Capability Sets 1-4, IVAS 1.0, IVAS 1.1, IVAS 1.2 |
| Successor | Soldier Borne Mission Command (Army program) |
| Display | |
| Display | See-through heads-up display with augmented reality overlays |
| Image | |
| Field of View | 70 degrees (before IVAS 1.2); 60 degrees (IVAS 1.2) |
| Audio | |
| Camera | Integrated thermal and low-light imaging sensors |
| Connectivity | |
| Connectivity | Intra-Soldier Wireless ultra-wideband network; networked data radio |
| Power | Three conformal batteries per soldier |
| Device | |
| Sensors | Thermal and low-light imaging sensors, built-in compass |
| Input | Link to the Family of Weapon Sights - Individual weapon sight |
The Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) was a United States Army program to field a soldier-worn mixed reality head-mounted display for close combat troops. Its heads-up display was originally based on Microsoft's commercial HoloLens and was worn with a body-worn computer, a data radio and batteries.[1][2] The Army intended IVAS to let soldiers fight, rehearse and train on a single system, and planned at one point to equip more than 100,000 close combat soldiers with it.[3]
Microsoft won a US$480 million prototyping agreement in November 2018 and, in March 2021, a production agreement with a maximum potential value of US$21.88 billion over ten years.[4][5] Operational testing in 2022 found that soldiers performed better with their existing equipment and that most testers reported symptoms such as headaches, eyestrain and nausea.[3] After further versions, Microsoft handed the program to Anduril Industries in 2025. In April 2025 the Army stopped testing, producing and fielding IVAS and renamed the follow-on effort Soldier Borne Mission Command (SBMC).[2] In July 2026 the Government Accountability Office (GAO) reported that none of the roughly 10,000 IVAS units produced would be fielded.[1][6]
History
Prototyping (2018-2021)
In November 2018, Microsoft won a two-year, US$480 million contract to develop IVAS prototypes. TechCrunch reported that, according to the bidding documentation, the work could lead to follow-on orders of more than 100,000 headsets, and, citing Bloomberg, that Magic Leap had also pursued the contract.[4] According to Engadget, the Army's stated aim was to "increase lethality by enhancing the ability to detect, decide and engage before the enemy", and its requirements included night vision, hearing protection and concussion detection.[7] TechCrunch wrote that the requirements appeared to exceed what the HoloLens optics of the time could do, including a field of view of between 55 and 110 degrees, and that the device had to weigh no more than 1.5 pounds and be compatible with existing military helmets.[4]
The Army developed the system through four iterative capability sets (CS). In December 2020, after Capability Set 3 testing, the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment approved moving IVAS from rapid prototyping to rapid fielding and authorized the Army to buy up to 10,000 Capability Set 4 systems. The Army tested Capability Set 4 engineering versions at a Soldier Touchpoint in April 2021 and at a user jury in July 2021. Based on those results, it delayed the planned operational demonstration from September 2021 to May and June 2022 so that deficiencies could be corrected.[3]
Production agreement (2021)
On 31 March 2021 the Army moved IVAS into production with a fixed-price production agreement worth up to US$21.88 billion. Breaking Defense reported that it had a five-year ordering period plus five one-year options for contractor logistics support. No minimum quantity was given.[5] DefenseScoop later described the agreement as covering about 120,000 IVAS sets.[8] In a Microsoft blog post announcing the award, Microsoft technical fellow Alex Kipman described the headset as based on HoloLens technology and augmented by Microsoft Azure cloud services. He said it had been developed with the Army through "Soldier Centered Design" and rapid prototyping.[9] Breaking Defense also noted that Congress had already cut US$230 million from the program's fiscal 2021 funding.[5]
Operational demonstration and funding cuts (2022-2023)
On 20 April 2022, the Department of Defense Inspector General published an audit concluding that the Army had not defined suitable user acceptance measurements for testing. The audit warned that buying IVAS without user acceptance could waste up to US$21.88 billion on a system soldiers might not want to use.[1][10] The fiscal 2022 Consolidated Appropriations Act had already put a hold on US$349 million of IVAS funding until the Army addressed congressional concerns.[8]
The Army ran the IVAS 1.0 operational demonstration at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, in June 2022. The Director, Operational Test and Evaluation (DOT&E) published its report in October 2022, and the results are covered under Test results and oversight below.[3] After the demonstration, the Army changed its acquisition strategy. It planned to field 5,000 IVAS 1.0 systems with improved reliability and 5,000 IVAS 1.1 systems with an improved low-light sensor, and to make a redesigned IVAS 1.2 with a new form factor the full-rate production system within 24 months.[3]
For fiscal 2023, the Army asked for US$400 million, enough to buy as many as 6,900 headsets. The Register, citing a defense appropriations summary released with the fiscal 2023 omnibus spending bill, reported that Congress blocked US$360 million of that request and moved the remaining US$40 million to development of IVAS 1.2.[11]
IVAS 1.2 redesign (2023-2024)
On 20 December 2022, the Army awarded Microsoft a task order to develop IVAS 1.2 under the existing production agreement. The Army said the new version would have "a new form factor to address Human Systems Integration", "a lower profile heads-up display with distributed counterweight" and software changes to improve reliability and reduce power demand. By then, the Army said, more than 1,000 soldiers had given nearly 100,000 hours of feedback across more than 30 soldier test events and over 100 technical sub-tests.[12] The same month, IVAS 1.2 was approved for the Middle Tier of Acquisition rapid prototyping pathway.[13]
Microsoft delivered the first 20 IVAS 1.2 prototypes in July 2023. Breaking Defense reported that the display had changed from a helmet-like design that was hard to remove to a hinged, flat design that soldiers could flip up. The field of view dropped from 70 degrees to 60 degrees. The computer moved from the chest to the back of the helmet, and the cable was shortened and moved from the side of the display to the back. Brigadier General Larry Burris, director of the Soldier Lethality Cross Functional Team, said the new Canon low-light sensor was "way beyond" the one in IVAS 1.0. Army acquisition chief Doug Bush said that if the program did not work out, the Army would "likely just do a new competition".[14]
Testing of IVAS 1.2 began with a user assessment in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2023, and DOT&E's report for that year shows an IVAS test at Fort Drum, New York, in August 2023.[15] Further program-led events followed at Picatinny, New Jersey, in January 2024 and at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, in August 2024, where two infantry squads were used to assess whether the IVAS 1.2 form factor improved compatibility with current weapons, how well its low-light and thermal sensors worked, and whether its network could support selected robotic autonomous systems. These were internal events, not operational tests. During fiscal 2024 the Army also produced the IVAS 1.1 variant, which it intended to issue to selected units under a limited safety release.[13]
For fiscal 2025, the Army requested US$255 million to buy 3,162 IVAS 1.2 heads-up displays, plus US$58.6 million in research and development funding for the display and US$18.9 million for the Squad Immersive Virtual Trainer.[1] The Army had also begun planning a follow-on, IVAS Next, holding its first industry day in December 2023.[1]
Transfer to Anduril (2025)
On 11 February 2025, Microsoft and Anduril announced that Anduril would take over "production, future development of hardware and software, and delivery timelines" for IVAS, pending Department of Defense approval, and that Microsoft Azure would be Anduril's preferred cloud for IVAS workloads.[16] The two companies had already worked together to integrate Anduril's Lattice software platform into IVAS.[16][1] Anduril founder Palmer Luckey, who created the Oculus Rift, said tactical heads-up displays had been "one of the products in the original Anduril pitch deck".[10]
The Army approved the contract novation on 10 April 2025, making Anduril the IVAS prime contractor.[1][2] Tom Keane, Anduril's senior vice president of engineering, told Breaking Defense that the existing contract included no new hardware for Anduril to deliver and that the company would deliver software functionality on the existing headsets. The outlet reported that Microsoft had already completed all existing production orders, including 400 IVAS 1.2 headsets delivered in February 2025.[17]
End of the program
The Army canceled the IVAS 1.2 operational assessment that had been scheduled for April 2025. DOT&E's fiscal 2025 report states that the Army "does not intend to test, produce, or field any IVAS variant systems in the future".[2] In July 2026, GAO's annual weapon systems assessment reported that none of the roughly 10,000 IVAS units produced would be fielded and that IVAS 1.2 would feed into SBMC.[1] Military Times reported that the Army had invested nearly US$2 billion in IVAS. According to the same report, the IVAS 1.0 and 1.1 units were obsolete and would stay in storage, the 1.1 version never went through operational testing, and about 400 IVAS 1.2 goggles would inform the design of SBMC.[6]
Design and hardware
DOT&E described IVAS as a soldier-worn system made up of several components. The heads-up display was see-through, with augmented reality overlays and integrated thermal and low-light imaging sensors.[13][2]
| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| Heads-up display (HUD) | See-through display with augmented reality capability, integrated thermal and low-light imaging sensors, a built-in compass for navigation and Tactical Assault Kit situational awareness software[13] |
| Puck | Body-worn computer[2] |
| Radio | Networked data radio for passing data within the company[2] |
| Batteries | Three conformal batteries per soldier[2] |
| Intra-Soldier Wireless network | Ultra-wideband link to the Family of Weapon Sights - Individual on the soldier's weapon, putting the weapon sight picture in the HUD for passive targeting[2] |
| Squad Immersive Virtual Trainer (SiVT) | Live and mixed reality training environment for repeating platoon-level battle drills and conducting after-action reviews[2] |
At the 2021 production award, Breaking Defense listed the planned capabilities as targeting crosshairs linked wirelessly to a smart gunsight, a heads-up display of tactical data such as pointers to objectives, friendly units and threats, live video from drones, helicopters, ground vehicles and other sensors, and simulated training scenarios.[5]
Versions
| Version | Period | Quantity | Main changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capability Sets 1-3 | Before December 2020 | Prototypes | Iterative prototypes; after CS 3 the program moved to rapid fielding (December 2020)[3] |
| Capability Set 4 | 2021-2022 | Up to 10,000 authorized | Intended as the production-ready system; engineering versions 1-3 tested from April 2021 to March 2022[3] |
| IVAS 1.0 | Procured 2022 | 5,000 | Baseline capabilities including navigation and rapid target acquisition with weapon sight camera linkage[1] |
| IVAS 1.1 | Procured 2023 | 5,000 | Improved low-light sensor for maneuver and positive target identification[1] |
| IVAS 1.2 | Prototypes from 2023 | About 400 delivered by February 2025 | Flip-up, lower-profile display, field of view reduced from 70 to 60 degrees, computer moved to the back of the helmet, new low-light sensor[1][14][17] |
Test results and oversight
2022 operational demonstration
The IVAS 1.0 operational demonstration included two 72-hour company-level missions with soldiers wearing IVAS, one 72-hour mission with soldiers using their current equipment, and three live-fire ranges run by day and by night. DOT&E reported that the infantry company was more successful at its missions with its current equipment than with IVAS 1.0. On the buddy-team live-fire range, soldiers hit fewer targets and engaged them more slowly with IVAS. IVAS 1.0 did not show improvements in the low-light sensors, display, weapon sight integration or field of vision, all of which had been flagged in earlier Capability Set 4 testing. Its reliability metric also declined compared with an earlier engineering version.[3]
DOT&E found that user acceptance remained low. Soldiers preferred their current equipment, namely the Nett Warrior system and PVS-14 and Enhanced Night Vision Goggle-Binocular night vision devices. The majority reported at least one symptom of physical impairment, including disorientation, dizziness, eyestrain, headaches, motion sickness and nausea, neck strain and tunnel vision. Reasons given for their dissatisfaction included poor low-light performance, display quality, bulk, poor reliability, inability to tell friend from foe, difficulty shooting, physical impairments and limited peripheral vision. The demonstration also found cyber and electronic warfare vulnerabilities, detailed in a classified annex.[3][15] The Congressional Research Service noted that these symptoms resemble those experienced by some users of commercial extended reality headsets (see simulator sickness).[1]
In its fiscal 2023 report, DOT&E said it could not determine the operational effectiveness, suitability and survivability of IVAS 1.0 because the tested system was not production representative.[15]
GAO assessment (2026)
GAO found that problems users reported with versions 1.0 and 1.1 "were not adequately addressed in 1.2", including poor low-light performance and the added weight on soldiers' helmets.[1][6] According to Military Times, the report said that soldiers found the headsets difficult to wear and that they did not perform better than existing equipment.[6] The Congressional Research Service suggested that Congress might seek user acceptance assessments for SBMC, since its design is to be informed by IVAS 1.2.[1]
Soldier Borne Mission Command
In March 2025 the Army released documents renaming IVAS Next as Soldier Borne Mission Command, and DOT&E reports that in April 2025 the Army designated SBMC as the next generation of IVAS and released a request for solutions to industry.[1][2] The Army describes SBMC as a "new effort to develop a fused digital awareness system optimized to emerging modular sensor technologies".[1]
In September 2025 the Army awarded SBMC prototyping contracts to Anduril (US$159 million) and the start-up Rivet (US$195 million) to prototype soldier-worn headsets with augmented reality, night vision and AI capabilities.[1][18] The contracts cover an 18-month rapid prototyping sprint.[1] Anduril is building a variant of its Anduril EagleEye headset family for SBMC; Luckey described it in October 2025 as the company's primary EagleEye variant.[19] In August 2026, DefenseScoop reported that Anduril was moving to a second phase in which it would deliver 170 prototypes of a modified design, and that a downselect and production award could come in fiscal 2028.[20]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 Kelley M. Sayler (2026-07-20). "Army's Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS)/Soldier Borne Mission Command (SBMC)". Congressional Research Service. Library of Congress. IF13022. https://www.congress.gov/crs_external_products/IF/PDF/IF13022/IF13022.4.pdf. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 "FY2025 Annual Report: Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS)". Director, Operational Test and Evaluation. U.S. Department of Defense. 2026-03. https://www.dote.osd.mil/Portals/97/pub/reports/FY2025/Other/2025Annual-Report.pdf. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 "FY2022 Annual Report: Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS)". Director, Operational Test and Evaluation. U.S. Department of Defense. https://www.dote.osd.mil/Portals/97/pub/reports/FY2022/army/2022ivas.pdf. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Lucas Matney (2018-11-28). "Microsoft wins $480M military contract to outfit soldiers with HoloLens AR tech". TechCrunch. https://techcrunch.com/2018/11/28/microsoft-wins-480m-military-contract-to-outfit-soldiers-with-hololens-ar-tech/. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Sydney J. Freedberg Jr. (2021-03-31). "IVAS: Microsoft Award By Army Worth Up To $21.9B". Breaking Defense. https://breakingdefense.com/2021/03/ivas-microsoft-award-worth-up-to-21-9b/. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Hope Hodge Seck (2026-07-08). "US Army will mothball 10,000 sets of clunky IVAS goggles, report reveals". Military Times. https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2026/07/08/us-army-will-mothball-10000-sets-of-clunky-ivas-goggles-report-reveals/. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ Steve Dent (2018-11-29). "US Army to use Microsoft's Hololens for combat missions". Engadget. https://www.engadget.com/2018-11-29-us-army-480-million-microsoft-hololens-contract.html. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Jon Harper (2023-01-05). "Army issues task order to Microsoft to develop better version of IVAS headset". DefenseScoop. https://defensescoop.com/2023/01/05/army-task-order-microsoft-better-version-of-ivas-hololens-headset/. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ Alex Kipman (2021-03-31). "Army moves Microsoft HoloLens-based headset from prototyping to production phase". The Official Microsoft Blog. Microsoft. https://blogs.microsoft.com/blog/2021/03/31/army-moves-microsoft-hololens-based-headset-from-prototyping-to-production-phase/. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Julie Bort (2025-02-11). "Anduril takes control of Microsoft's $22B VR military headset program". TechCrunch. https://techcrunch.com/2025/02/11/anduril-takes-control-of-microsofts-22b-vr-military-headset-program/. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ Brandon Vigliarolo (2023-01-12). "US blocks $400m Army HoloLens spending, spares R&D funds". The Register. https://www.theregister.com/on-prem/2023/01/12/us-blocks-400m-army-hololens-spending-spares-rd-funds/471963. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ "Integrated Visual Augmentation System 1.2 development task order awarded". U.S. Army. 2023-01-05. https://www.army.mil/article/263089/integrated_visual_augmentation_system_1_2_development_task_order_awarded. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 "FY2024 Annual Report: Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS)". Director, Operational Test and Evaluation. U.S. Department of Defense. https://www.dote.osd.mil/Portals/97/pub/reports/FY2024/army/2024ivas.pdf. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Ashley Roque (2023-07-27). "Army gets first 20 IVAS 1.2 prototypes for key test in troubled $22B program". Breaking Defense. https://breakingdefense.com/2023/07/army-gets-first-20-ivas-1-2-prototypes-for-key-test-in-troubled-22b-program/. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 "FY2023 Annual Report: Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS)". Director, Operational Test and Evaluation. U.S. Department of Defense. https://www.dote.osd.mil/Portals/97/pub/reports/FY2023/army/2023ivas.pdf. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 "Anduril and Microsoft partner to advance Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) program for the U.S. Army". Microsoft Source. Microsoft. 2025-02-11. https://news.microsoft.com/source/2025/02/11/anduril-and-microsoft-partner-to-advance-integrated-visual-augmentation-system-ivas-program-for-the-u-s-army/. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Ashley Roque (2025-04-15). "Anduril gets green light from Army to take over Microsoft's IVAS project: Exec". Breaking Defense. https://breakingdefense.com/2025/04/anduril-gets-green-light-from-army-to-take-over-microsofts-ivas-project-exec/. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ Jon Harper (2025-09-08). "Army awards more than $350M in contracts for Soldier Borne Mission Command system prototypes". DefenseScoop. https://defensescoop.com/2025/09/08/army-sbmc-contract-awards-anduril-rivet-soldier-borne-mission-command/. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ Matthew Beinart (2025-10-13). "Anduril Unveils EagleEye AI-Powered Headsets, Building Variant For Army's SBMC Program". Defense Daily. https://www.defensedaily.com/anduril-unveils-eagleeye-ai-powered-headsets-building-variant-for-armys-sbmc-program/army/. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ Jon Harper (2026-08-17). "Anduril redesigns tech for Army's Soldier Borne Mission Command program". DefenseScoop. https://defensescoop.com/2026/08/17/anduril-tech-soldier-borne-mission-command-program/. Retrieved 2026-09-29.