Lawmakers call for IVAS procurement cuts, US Army weighing implications

US Army soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division use an IVAS prototype during a trench clearing exercise in October 2020 at Fort Pickett in Virginia. In 2021 the service decided to delay fielding the technology and is working on improvements in anticipation of getting it into the field later in 2022. (US Army )

US Army acquisition officials are examining the proposed fiscal year (FY) 2022 omnibus spending bill to determine how Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) procurement cuts and proposed restrictions will affect programme plans, according to the service's Assistant Secretary for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology, Doug Bush.

Congress has unveiled the omnibus spending bill that provides USD728.5 billion in discretionary defence spending this year, and as of 10 March, the House and Senate had the legislation, and it will be sent to the White House for President Joe Biden's signature.

Appropriators that drafted the compromise bill said they will cut USD394 million from the army's USD854 million IVAS procurement request, and the accompanying report explains that “developmental challenges and increased testing requirements” prompted them to transfer USD55 million from the ‘other procurement' account over to the IVAS research, development, test, and evaluation account.

“The agreement also provides a total of USD405 million to maintain contractual production requirements,” lawmakers wrote.

They also require that the Program Executive Officer (PEO) Soldier submit a report within 30 days detailing the “revised” IVAS development plan, including the resourcing requirements.

“Further, the agreement places FY 2022 IVAS procurement funding of USD349.543 million on hold until the programme completes initial operational test and evaluation (IOT&E) and PEO Soldier provides a briefing,” they wrote. This test is anticipated to occur in May.