The US Army has announced that its troubled Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) will have to wait for at least two more years before official deployment with combat troops.
The announcement occurred during Wednesday’s House Armed Services subcommittee hearing on Army procurement.
According to the service, Microsoft must first prove that it has fixed issues with the device that left soldiers with headaches, nausea, and eye strain.
The committee is also concerned about the $1.5 billion spent on the IVAS program so far, and yet numerous issues remain.
Congress had already stated it would not approve billions of dollars for the procurement and fielding of the goggles pending proof of improvements.
“I am particularly concerned about a product that would cost over $60,000 per soldier,” Representative Rob Wittman said. “[I] think the system needs to be carefully scrutinized to ensure soldier lethality is enhanced.”
The IVAS program is already facing a more than one-year delay after an issue with the device’s wider “field of view” was discovered.
Estimated Timeline
Based on Microsoft’s HoloLens mixed reality goggles, the IVAS is designed to revolutionize how soldiers train and fight on the battlefield.
It is expected to provide a heads-up display for US military ground forces, similar to that for fighter pilots.
The US Army has approved the acquisition of 5,000 units, with the first 20 hand-built models to be delivered in July.
Soldiers will then provide their initial assessments between October and December. If the goggles pass, the service will order additional devices for a second soldier evaluation beginning in July 2024.
After the assessments, a full combat operational test involving the IVAS will be held between April and June 2025 to determine if the goggles can be fielded with combat troops.
“We want to make sure the latest version is exactly what the army needs, or we’re not going to produce it,” Army weapons buyer Doug Bush told lawmakers.
