Anduril working with Microsoft on IVAS

By Dan Schere / September 19, 2024 at 10:45 AM

Anduril is collaborating with Microsoft to integrate its Lattice software platform into the Army’s Integrated Visual Augmentation System, Anduril announced today.

By integrating the software platform into IVAS, Anduril aims to “enhance the capabilities fielded to soldiers through IVAS,” according to a company announcement. The Lattice has been successfully integrated into Microsoft’s hardware and software platform before, according to Anduril.

“This integration demonstrates the interoperability and extensibility of the Lattice software and IVAS platform. Soldiers wearing Lattice-enabled IVAS headsets are rapidly warned of incoming autonomously detected airborne threats, enhancing survivability in complex, contested environments,” according to Anduril.

The Army is currently developing its new IVAS 1.2 variant that features an improved form factor and lower heads-up display. It plans to conduct an operational test in fiscal year 2025 that will inform a production decision.

However, the IVAS program has endured heavy scrutiny from Congress for the last few years due to challenges that have occurred during testing. Senate authorizers proposed cutting most of the FY-25 procurement funding in their version of the defense authorization bill.

The IVAS variant that will follow 1.2 is known as IVAS Next, and the Army began soliciting feedback from industry last year for it. Breaking Defense reported last month that multiple companies other than Microsoft had expressed interest in the competition for IVAS Next.

Army acquisition chief Doug Bush, when asked about IVAS next during a media roundtable this month, said currently the Army is focused on development for IVAS 1.2, and Microsoft is “doing a good job” with its current contract. But “the potential for future competition is there,” he said.

“I think there’s so many companies in this space, and there’s so much dynamic tech here that we certainly need to preserve the option of having competition in the future if other people come up with good solutions. But the decision hasn’t been made yet to for sure to go that route. But we’re setting conditions to where if we decide to, we can.”

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