The Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS), an advanced “smart” goggle system for the U.S. Army, integrates night vision capabilities with a futuristic heads-up display, utilizing a robust version of the Microsoft HoloLens 2 augmented reality headset. The Army has been exploring helmet-mounted displays for a long period as part of different “future warrior” initiatives. Despite its innovative features, the IVAS system has faced its share of challenges, similar to previous projects, with soldiers reporting “mission-affecting physical impairments” such as headaches, nausea, and neck pain due to extended use.
The future of the IVAS system appears uncertain. Reports suggest that the Army might reconsider its main contractor for the system under the IVAS Next initiative after conducting a comprehensive review of its current night vision goggle capabilities. Developments like the ENVG-B and IVAS show that helmet-mounted night vision tools have significantly evolved beyond past expectations.
Regarding personal protective equipment, the “layered nylon armor” and “layered nylon vest” worn by Sawicki at an AUSA event resembles modern Army gear more closely than the flak jackets used during the Vietnam War. The Soldier Protection System (SPS) under development provides soldiers with a “lightweight modular, scalable, and tailorable suite of protective equipment,” which aims to enhance survivability without hindering mobility. The system involves various pieces working cohesively to maximize protection, primarily focusing on soft armor Torso and Extremity Protection and hard armor Vital Torso Protection subsystems to defend against small arms fire.
While ensuring protection from bullets is one aspect, safeguarding against nuclear explosion effects is another challenge altogether. The Mission Oriented Protective Posture (MOPP) ensemble has been used for years to defend against chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats, although it stands as a separate system from the Soldier Protection System or standard Army Combat Uniform.
In terms of weaponry, advancements have surpassed the M14 rifle. Since the late 1960s, the Army transitioned to the lighter 5.56-mm M16 and later to the M4 carbine during the Global War on Terror. Although replacing these rifles proved to be challenging, developments have led to the adoption of the XM7 rifle under the Next Generation Squad Weapon program, which is heavier than the M4. The introduction of “new high-velocity bullets” has also been realized with the adoption of 6.8 mm ammunition, as prescribed in a recent study to counter adversaries’ body armor advances.
Some predicted technological advancements never came to fruition, such as the automatic foxhole-digging charges, which were unable to replace traditional entrenching tools effectively. However, the concept of jetpack-equipped troops remains a persistent vision. The Department of Defense has explored militarized jetpacks since the 1950s, exemplified by the Bell Aerosystems’s Small Rocket Lift Device, known as the “Bell Rocket Belt.” Despite fuel constraints that limited its tactical use, the U.S. military has revisited this concept multiple times over the years.
