ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL, Ill. — What formerly belonged to the realm of science fiction has become reality for Soldiers, with advances enabling them to fight and win with next-generation technology.
Rock Island Arsenal – Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center will help distribute one of these advances to Soldiers across the force and in the field, a mixed-reality headset called the Integrated Visual Augmentation System, or IVAS, in a partnership with Program Executive Office (PEO) Soldier.
The IVAS is designed for dismounted close-combat force Soldiers to integrate key technology systems into one device enhancing situational awareness, lethality, survivability, maneuverability and other warfighter capabilities, to include synchronization with Soldiers in armored vehicles and helicopters.
IVAS provides Soldiers a field of view nearly twice as wide as those offered by current systems. It is capable of navigation and passive target interrogation, which allows users to identify targets without being seen by opposing forces.
Currently, thousands of IVAS systems are on ground in RIA-JMTC’s staging facility, in preparation for fielding. The Army anticipates procuring up to 121,500 units for close-combat forces over the coming years.
The RIA-JMTC IVAS team is on track to begin deliveries to units in the fall of 2023.
“That gives us time to receive everything, dress-right-dress,” said Sunny Koshal, branch chief, Program Management IVAS, RIA-JMTC. “It gives us time to get a good accountability. It gives us time to pack and ship each item that needs to go because every item has to go as a lot, not as an individual item.”
Besides their partnership with IVAS, RIA-JMTC and PEO Soldier have built a strong relationship through their work on other programs, to include a four-year partnership with PM Lethality for weapon cleaning kits. At one time, the warehouse held more than $20 million worth of kits awaiting fielding.
The IVAS is delivered in multiple packages so RIA-JMTC employees will need time to package each kit with the system, batteries and any other required components prior to shipping to Soldiers all over the world.
This fight-rehearse-train system will not only assist Soldiers on the battlefield but also improve their training opportunities. The goggles allow Soldiers to plan a mission virtually, without concern for available space, in addition to providing real-time mapping and augmented reality capabilities. Soldiers can train for missions and rehearse operations at the point of need.
The mixed-reality headsets allow Soldiers to see through smoke and around corners, use holographic imagery, thermal and low-light sensors to see in the dark and display 3D terrain maps and a compass projected into their field of vision. They provide tools to better conduct land navigation, battlefield tracking and movement through urban buildings and open terrain.
The IVAS will be the single most advanced fighting goggle available anywhere in the world. Its capabilities result from the tireless, integrated efforts of the Army and industry. The partnership between RIA-JMTC and PEO Soldier will help ensure these systems get to our Soldiers as soon as they are ready.
Rock Island Arsenal – Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center develops, manufactures and delivers readiness solutions through conventional and advanced manufacturing processes for the U.S. Army and Department of Defense systems globally.
By Debralee Lutgen
The DOD IG summed it up quite nicely:
“However, IVAS program officials did not define minimum user acceptance levels to determine whether IVAS would meet user needs. This occurred because Army policy did not require program officials to define suitable user acceptance levels. Procuring IVAS without attaining user acceptance could result in wasting up to $21.88 billion in taxpayer funds to field a system that Soldiers may not want to use or use as intended.”
>”…did not require program officials to define suitable user acceptance levels.”
>”…wasting up to $21.88 billion in taxpayer funds….”
https://www.dodig.mil/reports.html/Article/3007502/audit-of-the-armys-integrated-visual-augmentation-system-dodig-2022-085/
I see at least one person has not been fooled by the propaganda. Listen to the troops, this will system will NEVER deploy. Hard to about-face when you spend 500 Mil.
To Ian’s post I say, hmmm…
Aside from performance and user interface questions that probably can’t be answered at the moment, one has to wonder, does the Army intend to develop or release an RFP for a mounting arm for this? Or do they really intend for these to be worn like a Revision, Oakley, or ESS goggle?
If they are really anticipating fielding in Q4 23, you’d think someone would have gotten that started by now, especially if it’s going to actually be used as a PVS14/ENVG/B replacement (as the Army seems to wish).
Meanwhile…. https://www.defensedaily.com/army-gets-360-million-ivas-procurement-cut-300-million-envg-b-increase-in-final-fy-23-budget/army/
Before that cut, the math shows the fully burdened expense (ostensibly for R&D, testing, production, etc) for each IVAS unit at $182,333 each…EACH, folks. [$21.88b contract/120,000 units]
Source:
https://www.engadget.com/microsoft-hololens-fails-us-army-tests-135010970.html