Senate panel moves to limit funding for IVAS until Army delivers report

摘要

The Senate Armed Services Committee in its mark of the fiscal year 2021 defense policy bill says it would limit the use of funds for the Integrated Visual Augmentation System until the Army secretary submits a report subsequent to the completion of operational testing. The bill requires Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy to deliver a report no later than Aug. 15, 2021 on the acquisition strategy for the service's new augmented reality heads-up display, including "production model costs, full-rate production schedule and identification of any changes resulting from operational testing." The report should also include a certification of technology levels being utilized in the full-rate production model of IVAS and operational suitability of the production model of the system. The committee proposes the Army be allowed no more than half of authorized procurement funding for IVAS until the report is delivered. The Army wants to move IVAS into procurement in fiscal year 2021 and is asking for $906 million in base procurement and $14 million in research, development, test and evaluation funding for the system, part of a larger night-vision devices line within the budget.