"I think it was just a bit of an over characterization by the Inspector General on that particular point," said Army Secretary Christine Wormuth, after the IG questioned the basis of the $21 billion program.
By ANDREW EVERSDEN
on May 05, 2022 at 2:56 PM
This report was updated to add that Elbit Systems of America also makes Enhanced Night Vision Goggles-Binoculars for the Army.
WASHINGTON: Following a scathing inspector general report that warned the Army may be wasting billions on battlefield augmented reality goggles, Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth pushed back today, calling the report “a bit of an over characterization.”
The report from the DoD’s internal watchdog about the service’s Integrated Visual Augmentation System, made by Microsoft, raised alarms that the service could be “wasting up to $21.88 billion in taxpayer funds to field a system that Soldiers may not want to use or use as intended.” IVAS is one of the service’s 35 modernization priorities.
“We didn’t particularly agree with the characterization that, you know, soldiers were not going to use IVAS ultimately,” Wormuth told the Senate Armed Services Committee today. “I think one of the things the Army has done very well is to try to have a more soldier-centered design process across the board and to allow us to get that kind of feedback. So I think it was just a bit of an over-characterization by the Inspector General on that particular point.”
https://breakingdefense.com/2022/05/wormuth-pushes-back-on-scathing-ig-report-on-armys-ivas-goggle-program/
