The US Army is taking the next step in recompeting its multi-billion dollar mixed-reality goggle production contract with an official ask to industry to send in viable options. The service published its new Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) Next request for information today, giving interested companies until Feb. 26 to respond with their solutions for the combat-suitable heads-up display. “IVAS provides soldiers and squads a single platform for increased lethality, mobility, and situational awareness necessary to achieve overmatch against current and future adversaries,” the Army wrote in the release. “It is a ‘fight first’ system with the benefit of rehearse and train capabilities.” While the RFI doesn’t guarantee the service will recompete its current 10-year production contract with Microsoft valued up to $22 billion, it does kickstart such a process after surveying the market last year. Although the Army did not detail a competition schedule or acquisition plan, it offered up a peak at problems its looking to solve with IVAS Next including “known visual comfort limitations” such as “visual discomfort and nausea from virtual, mixed, and augmented reality headsets.”

Full report : US Army considers new approach for its augmented reality combat goggles.