Microsoft Corp.’s improved combat goggles have passed their first round of intensive testing by soldiers, and the tech giant has been awarded an order for another batch to be used for a make-or-break combat evaluation in 2025, according to a US Army spokesman.
(Bloomberg) — Microsoft Corp.’s improved combat goggles have passed their first round of intensive testing by soldiers, and the tech giant has been awarded an order for another batch to be used for a make-or-break combat evaluation in 2025, according to a US Army spokesman.
The first 20 prototype IVAS 1.2 goggles were delivered in late July and assessed by two squads of solders in late August to check for improvements in reliability, low-light performance and how well they fit without repeats of the nausea and dizziness that halted the deployment of earlier versions.
The devices, based on Microsoft’s HoloLens “mixed reality” goggles, “demonstrated improvements in reliability, low light sensor performance, and form factor” in tests last month at Fort Drum, New York, and “soldier feedback was positive,” spokesman David Patterson said in an email.
The Army awarded a new contract Sept. 5 for additional systems and to assess Microsoft’s capability to produce large quantities. Patterson didn’t disclose the contract amount or quantity.
Earlier: Microsoft’s Headache-Inducing Army Goggles Delayed Two Years
The new pre-production models will support an intense operational combat testing between April and June 2025 that if successful will lead to deploying the goggles. Over a decade, the Army projects spending as much as $21.9 billion for as many as 121,000 of the devices, spares and support services if all options are exercised.
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