Senate May Rein In Microsoft’s Billion-Dollar Army Program
Program for headsets faces a partial funding freeze pending more transparency.
A Senate committee’s proposed freezing half of the funding available to an Army program involving Microsoft Corp., pending greater transparency into the program’s cost and performance.
The program, known as the Integrated Visual Augmentation System, or IVAS, aims to develop a “heads-up display” for U.S. ground forces, similar to the displays fighter pilots use in the cockpit. The system would enable commanders to project information onto a visor in front of a soldier’s face, and would include other features such as night vision. In October 2018, the U.S. Army awarded Microsoft a $480 million contract to adapt its HoloLens augmented reality headset for the program.