Microsoft has signed a contract with the US Army, worth up to $21.88bn, to deliver 120,000 custom Hololens augmented reality headsets.
The deal comes after a previous $480m contract in 2018 to develop prototype versions for the army, CNBC News reported. The IVAS (Integrated Visual Augmented System) concept used the headset’s display to show map and thermal imaging systems, as well as the aim for a weapon.
That agreement was criticised by Microsoft employees in an open letter, in which staff said they “did not sign up to develop weapons, and we demand a say in how our work is used”. These concerns were dismissed by Microsoft boss CEO Satya Nadella, and the contract went ahead.
