TLDR: The U.S. Army has selected two teams, a partnership between Anduril and Meta, and new entrant Rivet, to develop and deliver next-generation mixed-reality heads-up displays for its Soldier-Borne Mission Command (SBMC) program, formerly known as the Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS). Both teams will provide devices for testing, with Rivet securing a $195 million contract for an 18-month rapid prototyping phase.
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Army has officially moved forward with its Soldier-Borne Mission Command (SBMC) program, selecting a joint team of Anduril and Meta, alongside new startup Rivet, to develop advanced mixed-reality heads-up displays for soldiers. This decision marks a significant step in the recompete of the Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) program, which has faced years of challenges.
The SBMC program aims to equip warfighters with cutting-edge mixed-reality capabilities for both combat and virtual training, enhancing situational awareness and decision-making on the battlefield. The Army will require both selected teams to deliver hundreds of these devices for rigorous testing.
Anduril and Meta initially announced their partnership in May 2025, outlining plans to “design, build, and field” a range of integrated extended reality (XR) products with military applications. Their collaboration leverages over a decade of investment by both companies in advanced hardware, software, and artificial intelligence. Palmer Luckey, founder of Anduril and creator of the civilian Oculus headset, expressed his enthusiasm for the renewed collaboration with Meta, stating, “My mission has long been to turn warfighters into technomancers, and the products we are building with Meta do just that.” The centerpiece of their bid is expected to be the ‘Eagle Eye’ ecosystem of augmented reality devices.
Rivet, a new entrant in the defense technology space, has secured a $195 million contract from the Army. This funding will support an 18-month rapid prototyping sprint, during which Rivet will continue engineering and testing work, and produce 470 “production representative” devices. David Marra, CEO of Rivet and former head of the Microsoft team that managed the original IVAS contract, emphasized his company’s readiness: “We have an incredibly legitimate solution that exists today, and one that we’ve tested in the field numerous times, including with Army soldiers in operational conditions. We’ve proven that it is a viable solution that exceeds the Army’s requirements.” Rivet, reportedly funded in part by Palantir, is developing glass-like heads-up displays designed for comfort during extended missions, ruggedness in austere conditions, and compliance with stringent supply chain and security regulations.
The original IVAS program, initiated in 2018, saw Microsoft awarded a 10-year, $22 billion production deal for its HoloLens 2-based system. However, the program was plagued by issues, including cyber sickness symptoms like nausea and visual discomfort reported by soldiers, as well as software glitches. In April 2025, Anduril officially assumed oversight of the original IVAS production deal, focusing on the data architecture and software functionality for existing headsets. Anduril’s Senior Vice President of Engineering, Tom Keane, noted at the time, “There’s no new hardware on the existing IVAS contract that Anduril is responsible for delivering, but what we’re going to be delivering is the software functionality on top of those existing headsets.”
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This latest selection of Anduril-Meta and Rivet for the SBMC recompete underscores the Army’s commitment to integrating advanced mixed-reality and artificial intelligence technologies to enhance soldier capabilities on the modern battlefield.
