Congress Halts Purchase of More Microsoft Combat Goggles, Report Says – CNET
Congress Halts Purchase of More Microsoft Combat Goggles, Report Says - CNET
Congress rejected the US Army’s request for funding to purchase more combat goggles from Microsoft, according to a report Thursday from Bloomberg.
The report says Congress rejected the Army’s request of $400 million to purchase about 6,900 goggles, which are based on Microsoft’s HoloLens Headset. Congress reportedly rejected the funding because field tests showed the headsets caused “mission-affecting physical impairments,” like headaches and nausea.
Lawmakers did approve $40 million in funding to develop a new goggles model, Army spokesman David Patterson said in an email, according to Bloomberg.
In December, the Army awarded a “task order” to Microsoft to develop a new variant of combat goggles, called version 1.2. The money for this order came from funding acquired in 2021.
The Army wrote that the new variant will address “physiological” issues identified during testing. Field testing for version 1.2 of the goggles is supposed to begin in September.
“Microsoft is committed to working with the Army to further develop [Integrated Visual Augmentation System] technology,” a Microsoft spokesperson said in an email to CNET. “The regular cadence of building and testing IVAS… will help us refine and improve the technology to ensure it brings unparalleled protection and capabilities to America’s Soldiers.”
For more, check out the US Army’s $21.88 billion deal to produce the combat goggles and CNET’s hands-on review of Microsoft’s HoloLens 2.
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