The US Army has abandoned plans to deploy nearly 10,000 IVAS augmented reality headsets—after spending around $1.8 billion on the program—and is sending the devices into storage. The decision followed widespread complaints from service members about serious health issues during testing, according to a US Government Accountability Office report cited by Task & Purpose.

Auditors analyzed Pentagon defense programs that exceeded budgets and delivery schedules, wasting billions of dollars and decades of time. One of the most problematic projects was identified as Microsoft Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS), News.Az reports, citing Militarnyi.

According to the auditors’ findings, the first two versions of the headsets failed to meet the military’s needs. The devices, manufactured in large quantities, will now be stored in warehouses, and some of them will, at best, be used for further testing.

Army spokeswoman Ellen Lovett confirmed that military leadership deemed the operational reliability of the first 10,000 systems unacceptable. However, she noted that this decision was made after the procurement phase had already been completed.

The military also developed over 400 improved prototypes of the IVAS 1.2 version, featuring updated low-light sensors. However, producing this modification proved too expensive for scaling and mass production.

During demonstration exercises, soldiers wearing the devices showed worse shooting results than with their standard equipment. Soldiers complained of disorientation, nausea, severe eye and neck strain, as well as constant headaches, due to the weight of the device on their helmets.

Carmen Malone, an assistant to the Pentagon’s inspector general, explained the reasons for the failure during a hearing in the House of Representatives. According to her, the Army’s rushed and overly ambitious requirements forced developers to use unproven technologies, leading to constant redesigns, delays, and cost overruns.

The main goal of the IVAS program, launched in 2018 as part of a 10-year, $22 billion contract, was to create a digital helmet. The system was intended to improve infantry situational awareness by displaying information on a screen in front of the wearer’s eyes.

The US Army has now decided to completely overhaul the concept and wind down the IVAS project. The military is moving to a new rapid prototyping program called Soldier Borne Mission Command (SBMC), which will be based on a different control architecture.

News.Az 

By Ulviyya Salmanli