- The Appropriations Defense Subcommittee reduced the Army’s procurement request by $350 million to more than $400 million in fiscal year 2023 for the Integrated Visual Augmentation System, a version personalized by Microsoft Corp. MSFT HoloLens glasses, reports Bloomberg.
- The Senate panel cited unresolved technical issues.
- The panel reserved concerns about IVAS’s ongoing software, hardware, and user acceptance challenges.
- The panel saw the device’s potential to improve soldiers’ capabilities on the battlefield while representing a critical step in the Pentagon’s efforts to “engage with non-traditional defense contractors” like Microsoft. .
- The move coincided with Democrats releasing an $808.6 billion Pentagon spending bill for 2023, up from President Joe Biden’s request for $773 billion.
- Goggles allow commanders to project information onto a visor in front of a soldier’s face and incorporate features such as night vision.
- Over a decade, the military planned to spend up to $21.9 billion on 121,500 devices, sparking a debate with the Pentagon. A Pentagon inspector general saw the contract strain taxpayer funds.
- Price action: MSFT shares traded up 0.53% at $277.87 pre-market when last checked on Friday.
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