Microsoft has won a Pentagon contract for augmented reality headgear for soldiers worth $21.88 billion (Rs. 1,60,290 crores) over the next decade based on the company’s HoloLens tech.
Use of headset
A head-mounted display used by soldiers for battle and training employs sensors for night and thermal vision in addition to providing data for help in engaging targets and making tactical decisions
About deal
The deal has a five-year base and a five-year option to extend, and could be worth up to almost $21.9 billion over the full 10 years.
Microsoft will be fulfilling an order for 120,000 AR headsets for the Army based on their Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) design.
The devices will be based on Microsoft’s HoloLens headset that made its debut in 2016.
Similar event in past
In 2019, Microsoft was granted a $10 billion contract to supply cloud services to the Department of Defense (though its rival, Amazon (AMZN), is still waging a legal contest against that decision).
Microsoft Commented
“We appreciate the partnership with the U.S. Army, and are thankful for their continued trust in transitioning IVAS from rapid prototyping to rapid fielding.”
“We look forward to building on this successful partnership with the men and women of the U.S. Army Close Combat Force.”
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