29 December 2020

US Army's IVAS programme incurs steep funding cut

by Ashley Roque

US lawmakers have stripped USD235 million from the army’s proposed Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) procurement offer for this year citing concerns about plans to buy the system before adequately testing it out.

On 27 December President Donald Trump signed a USD2.3 trillion comprehensive spending bill for fiscal year 2021 (FY 2021) with USD696 billion in discretionary funds allocated for the Pentagon. The legislation also includes a steep cut to the army’s new heads-up display programme and calls on the service to detail additional per unit costs and fielding plans.

“The IVAS programme is pursuing an aggressive fielding schedule to a large population of close combat forces, resulting in a significant low-rate initial production procurement for an end item that has not been operationally tested using production representative units, or its militarised form factor, as is planned for soldier touchpoint four,” appropriators wrote.

Soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division used the latest IVAS prototype during a training exercise in October at Fort Pickett, Virginia. Lawmakers have cut programme funds and want additional information about the technology. (US Army)

“While the technology represents a potential leap-ahead in capability, it is essential that an appropriate amount of operational testing, including use by soldiers in realistic combat conditions with production representative units, inform the army's decision to move to large-scale procurement,” they added.

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