Does this $60,000 Combat Goggle Actually Work?
Summary
TLDRThe US Army's Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) is a mixed reality headset designed to enhance soldiers' mobility and lethality, potentially replacing night vision goggles, GPS, and communication devices. Despite a $22 billion contract for up to 120,000 units over a decade, the technology has faced challenges, including initial poor soldier feedback and internal Pentagon investigations. The IVAS aims to provide advanced capabilities like night vision, GPS navigation, thermal vision, and weapon targeting, but has encountered issues such as discomfort, poor low light performance, and concerns over cyber vulnerabilities. The Army is pushing for its adoption by 2025, but the project is now the subject of Congressional debate, with some advocating for the more traditional Enhanced Night Vision Goggle - Binocular (ENVG-B) system. The future of IVAS hinges on addressing soldier concerns and proving its effectiveness in a combat environment.
Takeaways
- 🤖 The Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) is a mixed reality headset developed by Microsoft for the US Army, aiming to enhance soldiers' mobility and lethality with features like night vision, GPS, and weapon targeting.
- 🚀 IVAS is intended to replace traditional night vision goggles, communications equipment, and GPS, and is being tested by 10,000 soldiers, with potential for up to 120,000 units to be procured over the next decade.
- 💰 The contract for IVAS includes an option to purchase up to 120,000 units at a cost of up to $22 billion, indicating the high stakes and investment involved in the technology.
- 📉 Despite its potential, IVAS has faced challenges, with initial soldier feedback indicating issues such as discomfort, poor low-light performance, and concerns about its tactical effectiveness.
- 🔍 An internal Pentagon investigation and soldier feedback have raised concerns about the system's readiness and whether it meets user needs effectively.
- 📡 IVAS is designed to integrate with other technologies like drones, potentially providing soldiers with live data and images from the air, changing the way reconnaissance is conducted.
- 🧑✈️ The system could turn every soldier into a sensor node, collecting and transmitting valuable data on the battlefield, which raises questions about privacy and over-reliance on technology.
- 🤔 There is a debate in Congress about whether to continue investing in IVAS or to focus on the Enhanced Night Vision Goggle - Binocular (ENVG-B) system, which is preferred by soldiers for its proven reliability.
- 🛡️ The Army argues that while initial acceptance of new technology like IVAS may be low, history has shown that with time and development, such tools become invaluable, comparing their approach to Steve Jobs' philosophy on innovation.
- 📉 The Inspector General report highlighted that IVAS failed four out of six operational tests and soldiers reported physical impairments like headaches and nausea from using the system.
- 💡 The Army is working to address the issues raised in the feedback, with the latest version of IVAS promising improvements in low-light performance, comfort, and an 'all-weather' capability.
Q & A
What is the Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) developed by the US Army?
-The Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) is a mixed reality heads-up display developed by Microsoft for the US Army. It aims to provide soldiers with improved mobility and lethality during the day or at night by replacing night vision goggles, integrating communications, GPS, and enhancing target enemy positions and training simulations.
What are the potential capabilities of IVAS that were tested?
-The tested capabilities of IVAS include night vision, GPS navigation, thermal vision, 3D maps, weapon targeting, objectives visually highlighted, friendly and enemy markers, and the ability to fire from the hip or around the corner from behind cover.
What are the concerns raised by soldiers who have used the IVAS during field testing?
-Soldiers have raised concerns about the IVAS being uncomfortable and annoying to wear, issues with light discipline due to the visibility of the holographic display, and the device's weight and bulkiness. There were also physiological impacts such as headaches, eye strain, nausea, and other symptoms of physical impairment reported after extended use.
What is the controversy surrounding the IVAS program?
-The controversy surrounding the IVAS program involves an internal Pentagon investigation and initial poor soldier feedback, suggesting major challenges ahead. This has led to a Congressional debate on whether the Army should invest in IVAS or the next generation of Enhanced Night Vision Goggle - Binoculars (ENVG-B).
What is the potential cost of the IVAS program if fully implemented?
-The potential cost of the IVAS program, if fully implemented, could reach as much as $22 billion for the purchase of up to 120,000 goggles over the next decade.
How does the IVAS system integrate with other technologies like drones?
-The IVAS system is designed to integrate with ground and air platform sensors, including manned and unmanned aerial vehicles. This means it can receive live data feeds from drones flying overhead, providing soldiers with real-time imagery of the area they are about to enter.
What is the current status of the IVAS program in terms of development and fielding?
-As of the information provided, the IVAS program has been through various tests and iterations. Version 1.2 was released in 2023 with several upgrades. However, due to the issues encountered, the older versions (1.0 and 1.1) are mainly used for training, while the infantry units are expected to receive the newer 1.2 version.
What are the potential operational impacts of the IVAS for soldiers?
-The IVAS has the potential to transform a soldier into a sensor node, providing a shared picture of the battlefield and real-time information back to headquarters. This could make calling for fire easier and more precise, enhancing command and control capabilities.
What are the concerns about the IVAS system's performance in different environmental conditions?
-There are concerns that the IVAS system may have vulnerabilities in a cyber-contested electromagnetic spectrum environment, which could lead to the device being hacked or rendered inoperable. Additionally, there were rumors of the original version having trouble in light rain and frequently turning off.
How does the IVAS system address the issue of situational awareness for soldiers inside vehicles?
-The IVAS system is designed to provide soldiers with increased vision and situational awareness by using high-end cameras around the vehicle, both during the day and at night. Soldiers can access this footage while en route to a mission, thus avoiding the issue of being locked in a vehicle with no external visibility.
What is the current stance of Congress regarding the IVAS program?
-Congress has expressed skepticism about the IVAS program, denying the Army's request to acquire additional headsets and reducing their overall budget. This action indicates that Congress wants to see improvements and validation of the system's effectiveness before committing further funding.
What are the potential physiological impacts of using IVAS that soldiers reported?
-Soldiers reported experiencing headaches, eye strain, nausea, and other symptoms of physical impairment after using the IVAS for extended periods. This has raised concerns about the long-term effects of using such technology in the field.
Outlines
🤖 Army's IVAS: A Mixed Reality Headset for Modern Warfare
The US Army's Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) is a mixed reality headset designed to improve soldiers' mobility and lethality. Currently under testing with 10,000 soldiers, it faces Congressional debate due to initial poor feedback and challenges. The device aims to replace night vision goggles, communication devices, GPS, and enhance targeting and training. Despite the potential for a $22 billion contract over a decade, there are concerns about practicality, soldier addiction to technology, and whether the Army should invest in IVAS or the Next Generation EnV GB goggles. Version 1.2 of IVAS was released in 2023 with new upgrades, and the video discusses these as well as the narrator's concerns about the concept's practicality.
📡 IVAS 1.2: Enhanced Capabilities and Soldier Feedback
The IVAS 1.2 version, developed by Microsoft and based on the HoloLens 2 technology, has seen improvements including smaller, lower-profile glasses for comfort. It has been tested in various scenarios by 70 infantrymen to evaluate its effectiveness. The device promises night vision, GPS navigation, thermal vision, 3D maps, and weapon targeting, among other features. However, the Army has not clearly defined user acceptance levels, leading to controversy. Soldier feedback indicates issues with light discipline, as the device's display could be seen from hundreds of meters away, and other concerns about its practicality in the field.
🛡️ Soldier Acceptance and the Future of IVAS
Despite the futuristic appeal of IVAS, soldier acceptance has been a challenge. The Army has not developed a clear measure of user acceptance, and internal investigations reveal that IVAS failed several operational tests. Soldiers have reported physical impairments such as headaches, eye strain, and nausea after using the device. The Army's push for IVAS has raised questions about prioritizing unproven technology over more established equipment like the EN VGB goggles. The potential downsides include wasting billions in taxpayer funds if the system is not adopted as intended by soldiers.
💻 IVAS in the Balance: Funding and Technological Concerns
The IVAS program is under scrutiny for not requesting additional funding for the EN VGB goggles, opting instead to push for IVAS despite its challenges. The Senate Armed Services Committee has questioned the Army's decision, and there's a clear debate between investing in a proven favorite like the EN VGB or the potentially revolutionary IVAS. The Army believes it has procured enough EN VGB for its needs and is focusing on developing IVAS. Concerns about the device's weight, cost, and cyber vulnerabilities in a contested environment have been raised. The Army's commitment to IVAS is evident, but the path to full adoption will require addressing these issues.
🚀 IVAS Development and Potential Benefits
The development of IVAS has shown significant progress in a short time, and the Army leadership is optimistic about its potential. The system is seen as an all-in-one replacement for various standalone devices, which could justify its high cost. Despite concerns about its vulnerabilities in a cyber-contested environment and issues with weather resistance, the Army is working to improve the device. The potential benefits of IVAS include increased situational awareness, the ability to see through vehicles, and improved coordination for squad and platoon leaders. The video concludes with a call to support the channel by participating in a giveaway for limited edition collectibles.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS)
💡Apple Vision Pro
💡Night Vision Goggles (NVG)
💡Cybersecurity
💡Operational Test and Evaluation
💡Heads-Up Display (HUD)
💡Body Worn Computer (Puck)
💡Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)
💡Fog of War
💡Enhanced Night Vision Goggle - Binocular (ENVG-B)
💡Procurement
Highlights
The US Army's Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) is a mixed reality heads-up display designed to enhance soldier mobility and lethality.
IVAS aims to replace night vision goggles, communications, GPS, and target enemy positions, as well as run training simulations.
The Pentagon's internal investigation and soldier feedback indicate significant challenges ahead for the IVAS program.
The IVAS has become a subject of Congressional debate regarding the Army's investment in the technology.
Version 1.2 of IVAS was released in 2023 with new upgrades, including improved low light night vision capabilities.
The IVAS device includes a heads-up display, a body-worn computer called 'the puck', a network data radio, and separate battery packs for each soldier.
IVAS is designed to integrate with ground and air platform sensors, potentially changing the way reconnaissance is conducted.
The device could turn every soldier into a sensor node, collecting and transmitting live data on the battlefield.
The Inspector General report criticized the Army's management of the IVAS program, highlighting a lack of minimum user acceptance levels.
Soldier feedback from training exercises indicated that IVAS failed four out of six operational tests in 2022.
Concerns were raised about the device's weight, comfort, and the potential for it to be a target for hacking or jamming.
The Army has procured a number of Enhanced Night Vision Goggles (ENVG) that they believe meets their requirements, despite criticism.
The IVAS program has faced funding challenges, with Congress denying additional funding and reducing the overall budget for the Army to address soldier concerns.
The Army is pushing for IVAS to be fielded by 2025, despite ongoing issues and the preference of some soldiers for current equipment.
The debate centers around whether to invest in a technology that is not yet fully accepted by soldiers or to continue with proven, albeit less advanced, equipment.
The potential impact of IVAS on future warfare includes improved command and control, shared battlefield awareness, and enhanced situational awareness for vehicle operations.
Despite the challenges, proponents of IVAS believe that with sufficient development time and funding, it could become an essential tool for squad and platoon leaders.
Transcripts
this is ivas It's the US Army's very own
version of Apple Vision Pro but instead
of helping you call for Uber it helps
you call for fire the military has
actually been busy working on the
concept for decades with the newest
attempt integrated visual augmentation
system being issued to 10,000 soldiers
for testing so far but an internal
investigation by the Pentagon and
initial poor Soldier feedback suggest
there are some major challenges ahead
and that's why ivas has become the
subject of a fierce Congressional debate
whether the Army should invest in ivas
or next Generation EnV GB goggles
goodbye fog of War hello crippling
addiction to technology what exactly is
ivas well according to the Army it's a
mixed reality heads up display to
provide Soldiers with improved mobility
and lethality during the day or at night
so essentially it aims to replace your
night vision goggles Communications GPS
and take over how you target enemy
positions and run training simulations
with your squad the Public Defense
contract for ivas has an option to buy
as many as 120,000 goggles over the next
decade for as much as $22 billion if
they want so a lot is at stake here with
this device version 1.2 just dropped in
2023 and we're going to talk about all
of its new upgrades as well as my
concerns as a regular old grunt about
whether this whole concept is really
practical or not but first I have an
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luck beare Parts Army it's obvious why
Apple Microsoft Facebook are all pouring
the GDP of small countries worth of
dollars into developing this augmented
reality Tech this is because the Apple
vision and ivas goggles could
potentially unlock tremendous potential
in US mere mortals the promise of
networked soldiers is a dream that big
army has feverishly been working on in
one form or another since the 1980s each
time it's failed over and over again but
it's taken us one step closer the latest
iteration ivas started in 2018 so I
think the best way to break this down is
to start off explaining how it works
ideally in theory and then get into to
all of the negative soldier feedback and
the controversy surrounding it developed
by Microsoft it's based on their Hollow
lens 2 smart glasses headset technology
and they just delivered 20 of the new
and improved versions The 1.2 prototypes
a quick rundown of its promised
capabilities that were tested include
night vision GPS navigation thermal
vision 3D maps weapon targeting
objectives visually highlighted friendly
and enemy markers you could fire from
the hip or around the corner from behind
cover while seeing where the target
reticle is personally I could think of
one reason why better 3D maps would be
useful during my first raid on a house
in IR rock it took six kicks to get the
door open so everyone knew exactly where
we were coming from and then we figured
out it was the wrong house in the first
place and as I'm saying this out loud
I'm realizing it's an embarrassing story
I probably should have kept to myself
according to the Army the new IVs 1.2
version will give you the ability to
hinge the device so you can raise and
lower the display very similar to how
you do with with night vision goggles in
case you need to use your old human eyes
for a second and so from what I can
gather one of the major upgrades here is
improvements to the low light night
vision image intensifying ability the
ivas is made up of a few separate parts
actually kind of like the Apple Vision
it includes a heads up display goggles a
body worn computer known as the puck a
network data radio and three separate
battery packs for each Soldier more
stuff to carry yes I can't wait please
sir I want some more and in fact right
off the bat the first thing that jumps
out to me compared to the older variants
is its much smaller improved lower
profile glasses the first version in
2018 looked like cumbersome ski goggles
and now they look like lighter weight
hater blockers I mean look at the
original version they look a little
goofy looks like RoboCop 2014 and I want
to look like Robocop 1987 in all
seriousness this new version is a big
step up in addressing one of the biggest
points of criticism isms that the tested
soldiers had which was that it was
uncomfortable and annoying to wear now
where do they get those criticisms from
well hias was officially tested in the
field in June of 2022 over the course of
3 weeks by 70 different infantrymen to
see what needed tweaking they wore them
during three 72-hour training scenarios
which included movement toward an enemy
attacking and defending a position
couple of live fire events during day
and night and they put them through the
paces the goal of the mission today is
using the avas technology to launch and
recover other aircraft and to also call
in a nonline metac while they're also uh
receiving Dynamic Mission changes while
they're in route and also on the ground
what I wouldn't give to be able to test
those out at least it promises to make
recording Tik toks easier one of the
biggest updates to the program that I
never thought about before is how the
heads up display will work in
combination with another new technology
that's changing the face of Modern
Warfare drones according to the Army IVs
will integrate with ground and Air
Platform sensors what that means is it
can take in data from manned and
unmanned aerial Vehicles a drone flying
overhead will be able to send you live
pictures of what you're walking into in
advance what does that mean for your
regular grunt the way you conduct
reconnaissance will completely change
but it also gives us a hint as to why I
think the Army is pushing this device so
hard the ivas would turn every Soldier
into a sensor node it's the concept of
soldier as a sensor you know as opposed
to Soldier as a human being think of all
the live data that this thing will
passively collect on your head is your
unit currently retreating or moving
forward is your Battalion at 20% ammo or
90% that info could be collected from
your weapon sent to your headset back to
command did you just make fun of your
Commander's uncanny resemblance to
Napoleon bonapart these these are all
things that your command wants no needs
to know Facebook and Instagram in their
Wildest Dreams want this level of access
to your personal information while many
of my favorite creators on YouTube are
busy reviewing the new Apple Vision Pro
wondering how it might change the way we
work love and play I'm wondering how
augmented reality will change the way we
fight Wars if I were to take a little
bit too big of a hit from the pieace
pipe I would say that these devices are
going to record every second of War so
they can be used this train models for
robotss to eventually replace soldiers
in the future they're like how we train
machines to recognize objects with
capture not sure how I would like a
video recording of all my war crimes but
everything has its tradeoffs the big
takeaway here is that you're now adding
a 100,000 data collection devices
running around on the ground feeding
targeting information to your bigger
ticket assets like your himars and f-35s
and developing a shared picture of the
battlefield infantry have one device
really since World War II that's been
issued to them that has a operational
level impact and I think that's the
radio it's their ability to call for
fire like a hell diver the IVs would be
the second device with an operational
impact for the grunts as it feeds
realtime information of the battlefield
picture back to headquarters and makes
calling for fire easier I suspect it's a
command and control device as much as
anything else it gives a shared picture
of the battlefield so you can know what
second Squad is is doing right now wait
second Squad what the are you doing
right now while all of that sounds
really exciting and it's easy to get
carried away about future potential here
there's also some big potential
downsides that we're going to need to
address and we get these straight from
the 50-page Inspector General report
that investigated the Army's management
of the program the IG is like when you
see police internal investigation
departments except for the military
these are the dudes who are responsible
for holding a lot of the defense
spending accountable if you blow the
whistle on defense project you'll end up
with an IG report unless it's one of
boeings don't do that what I'm assuming
is that someone close to or involved in
the project maybe someone who trained on
the device brought it to the attention
of the IG that the Army was moving
forward with the project even though
there was a high number of troops who
didn't find it effective that's
typically how these Inspector General
reports are spun up it could have also
been the fact that there was all these
major delays that have hindered the
program so far according to the internal
investigation the biggest thing is quote
ivas program officials did not Define
minimum user acceptance levels to
determine whether ivas would meet user
needs the report States Army future
command officials inferred user
acceptance as a soldier doing their job
better and quicker using ivas however
the Army has not developed any
percentage or otherwise measurement of
user acceptance to determine whether the
system is acceptable now with what the
internal investigation is suggesting
there is that the test results which are
mostly redacted from the public report
as you can see are not designed to
accurately determine if troops actually
found it useful or not Business Insider
got access to that actual Soldier
feedback from training according to
their report IVs failed four out of six
operational tests during the 2022
demonstration one test Soldier even
threw some serious Shades saying quote
theice would have gotten us killed when
referring to how the light from the
holographic display onto the goggles
would betray you by being visible for
hundreds of meters away so much for
light discipline to be fair I don't know
if they solved that in version 1.2
though so what this means is that old
versions The 1.0 and 1.1 will mainly be
used in training units to teach the
basics on the device Meanwhile your
close combat infantry units will start
receiving ivas 1.2 since it's more ready
for the prime time for example just how
effective will the night vision and
thermal sensors on it be compared to
Generation 3 nvg tubes I'm assuming it
uses digital night vision and thermal
which is currently not as bright or
clear of an image as far as I know sure
the ivas aims to offer an 80° field of
view which is like double what your
standard night vision goggles produce
however earlier versions that had that
wide field of view contributed to making
users feel weird and sick while wearing
them because resolution at the edges was
blurry I'd be very curious to know what
the refresh rate on the night vision is
for the ivas because if it isn't really
good latency the delay could make
operations like night driving more
dangerous compared to traditional nvgs
these are things I don't know however
there is an important aspect of
procurement that we need to address the
Army has stated that there are many
examples where Soldier acceptance was
initially low such as the original night
vision goggles in the 1970s machine guns
and the invention of automated transport
which obviously all turned out to be
very useful user acceptance isn't always
a metric that lends itself to objective
measures partly because troops can be
biased towards what they already know so
the arm is basically paraphrasing the
late steeve jobs here saying some people
say give the customers what they want
but that's not my Approach our job is to
figure out what they're going to want
before they do but there are more
downsides part of my degree of
skepticism of the I as comes from a 2022
and 2023 annual report for the office of
the director operational test and
evaluation this is the group that's the
main advisor to the Secretary of Defense
on equipment tests and evaluations
they're the ones that hold acquisition
programs accountable basically providing
independent assessments to Congress who
will end up approving what equipment
ends up in the budget and what does not
so what says has a Major Impact I'll put
a link in the description if you want to
read them yourself but the test office
wasn't exactly stoked on the new tech
stating that troops specifically wanted
improvements to the low light sensor on
the device saying quote the results of
the Ops demo user acceptance remains low
soldiers prefer their current equipment
soldiers cited ivas 1.0 poor low light
performance display quality
cumbersomeness poor reliability
inability to distinguish friend from Fox
difficulty shooting physical impairments
and limited peripheral vision as reasons
for their dissatisfaction I get it I can
barely hit the 300 met Target without
six camera strap to my head how much
does it weigh exactly Todd south of army
times wrote an article stating that ivas
1.0 version weighed a total of 3.4 lbs
with 2.4 of those pounds being the most
important part which is placed right on
the solders Noggin for context I was
surprised to learn that the en vgb also
weighs about 2.5 lb but un like that
this is something you're going to be
wearing either day or night this
suggests to me that it's possible to
slim down 1.2 version of the goggles
weigh even less so that's encouraging
news I'm uh Captain Wright I'm the
Charlie trip Commander 573 had second
airborn division it's being marketed as
kind of a night vision goggle that ties
Optics thermal messaging and planning
all into one one of the weirdest
problems identified in that
investigation that I found I think will
be familiar to any one of you who have
used civilian million virtual reality or
augmented reality devices the
physiological impacts which means troops
suffered headaches from wearing the
device in fact 80% of them who experien
problems found that after 3 hours of use
you would have eye strain and nausea
issues it's interesting because users
also reported feeling the same way when
using Apple vision and similar products
like VR here's the quote from the
operational test and evaluation report
by the government the majority of
soldiers reported at least one symptom
of physical impairment to include
disorientation dizziness eye strain
headaches motion sickness nausea neck
strain and tunnel vision in the Army if
you complain about a headache I
guarantee your squad leader will advise
you to get the sand out of your and take
a few moin but that's not exactly an
option when you can't take these off I
own virtual reality goggles and while I
find it to be an amazing experience
personally I also found that it gave me
a weird dissociative feeling after using
them for more than an hour Eddie burbach
did a great job outlining how that feels
in his review of the Apple Vision I
don't know maybe the Army sees that as a
good side effect that you're
depersonalized in the middle of combat
but this is part of the reason why I
think it's possible and I'm just
spitballing here let me know what you
think of this I'm just talking off the
cuff just Playing devil's advocate here
it's possible that the Army believes it
might be worth it for soldiers to be a
little uncomfortable and a little
impeded when it comes to shooting if it
means that the ivas is a device that can
better call for precision fire and give
better Battlefield picture on an
operational level even if it sacrifices
a little on the Tactical level uh think
of it this way body armor was
uncomfortable and reduced Mobility also
and I'd rather take that off but it also
is true that it saved a lot of lives but
that's not where the debate about this
comes from it comes from the possibility
that the Army might be prioritizing a
technology that's not yet ready to field
at the expense of one that is
what happened is the ivas program has
recently come under intense scrutiny
because the Army appears to have not
requested additional funding for
acquiring the en vgb enhanced night
vision goggles and has instead requested
funding for ivas despite the problems
it's run into they're pushing full steam
ahead with plans to field the ivas
goggles which they originally wanted to
do by
2025 here is the US Senate armed
services committee asking the secretary
of the army Christine waral questions
about the ivas program I asked um why
the Army had once again failed to
include full funding um for the enhanced
night vision goggles binoculars
emgb um Congress stepped in last year to
restore the full 300 million I think
Microsoft knows that this is this is it
they either get it done and get it to a
place where our soldiers want to use it
or we will move on so you can see they
have two different competing points of
view about what's happening there
exactly but this is why Congress denied
the Army's request to acquire 6,900
additional headsets and reduced their
overall budget they now have 40 million
to fix problems that these soldiers
identified and there's 125 million that
of the original funds that could go
towards completing version 1.2 so that's
what's at the center of this procurement
showdown in the one corner you have your
EnV GB it's a classic you know it you
love it soldiers love it it's a crowd
favorite then in the other corner you
have ivas it's a little risky it's bold
but it could eventually be the future of
warfare and a potential game Cher but
the two projects are indirectly
competing for funding and if you're in
an army leadership position it's your
job to figure out how to balance
allocation of the finite number of
resources now it's important to note
that the Army believes this is a
non-issue they state that they've
already procured the number of enhanced
night vision goggles that they thought
would meet their requirement one of the
biggest criticisms from the dod internal
investigation says quote procuring ivas
without attaining user acceptance could
result in wasting up to 21.8 billion in
taxpayer funds to feel the system that
soldiers may not want to use or use as
intended but saying the Army could waste
$22 billion is a little bit of an
exaggeration and some critics have
pointed out that it's kind of an appeal
to a motion because that assumes that
the entire 120,000 devices would be
fielded while the device doesn't work
which is unlikely that number is the
total hypothetical ceiling for the
project if it hits all of its
performance development milestones it
even includes the cost of spare parts
maintenance and training on it why
120,000 goggles that seems a little
arbitrary well my guess is because
that's how many active duty US Army
infantrymen there are although I've seen
estimates that are much lower than that
and the dod doesn't release that
information publicly believe me you I
would be the last person that you'll
find arguing against investing in
Innovation for our soldiers I think
incremental development of these devices
is absolutely the correct thing to do
they've already advanced leaps ahead in
just three short years and if I had to
guess I would say that Army leadership
is seeing how much better these are
getting in such a short period of time
and they believe they can get it to work
before they run out of funds many of the
reviews of those device also point out
the insane price of them costing roughly
as much as a used car but the military's
ivas takes it a step further running
taxpayers the low low cost of only
$60,000 per unit this is offset somewhat
by the fact that it's an all-in system
that replaces many other Standalone
devices like your night vision goggles
your GPS another major concern that t&
named was the quote IVs 1.0
vulnerabilities in a cyber contested in
electromagnetic spectrum environment as
detailed in the classified version this
means there's some concerns about if the
enemy could hack into the this device or
it could just be turned into a 32 lb
$60,000 brick I also heard rumors from
those close to the project that the
original version had trouble in light
rain and would frequently turn itself
off and had glitches often what would
every training NCO do if they couldn't
use their favorite phrase if it ain't
raining we ain't training I'm not
certain if that was fixed but some
evidence that it might have been comes
from the newest press release from the
Army which specifically calls it an all
Weather fighting goggle this is a new
term for the device that I haven't seen
any army Publications used for it before
the whole point is that it's supposed to
increase your vision not decrease it and
when they work out all the BRS and
improve it troops will have increased
Vision in some ways for example they'll
be able to see through their vehicle and
have situational awareness as to what
the heck is going on outside never mind
don't look out there what's going on
outside the vehicle isn't important this
prevents you from dismounting though
into dangerous situations now we've got
relatively high-end cameras all the way
around the vehicle both day and night
and the soldiers wearing the new ivas
technology are able to use those cameras
and access it while they're in route to
Mission so instead of staring at a blank
steel wall they can keep up with what's
going on around the vehicle if you're a
regular viewer of the channel you'll
know one of my least favorite things
about being in a mechanized infantry
Striker unit was being locked in the
back of a dark hole having no idea
what's going on outside the vehicle When
we dropped ramp having said all of that
my personal feelings on whether your
average INF would benefit from the ivas
device I think absolutely if it's given
enough time and money to further develop
the ivas it'll become an essential tool
even if it's just something that all
Squad leaders or platoon leaders are
given at first so that it's a tool for
command because that's really what a
squad Leader's main job is they're meant
to be setting up the most effective
fields of fire they're meant to be
coordinating Logistics ammo resupply it
wasn't me your lowest grunt who was
navigating and making sure your map was
correct that we were hitting that right
house during raid that responsibil is on
the squad leaders and Leadership and to
a lesser extent your team leaders that's
who I think would benefit the most from
having an ivas first so if you're
looking for a way to support me and the
channel just head over to go.get iner to
win.com taskin purpose get one of our
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and the deadline to enter is April 26th
at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Standard Time as
always thank you very much for your
support and good luck
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)