Microsoft making helmets for soldiers

[The Architect Of Fate]

Microsoft making helmets for soldiers

Microsoft has won a Pentagon contract for augmented reality headgear for soldiers worth $21.88 billion over the next decade, the company and the U.S. military announced on March 31.

The award aims "to deliver next-generation night vision and situational awareness capabilities to the Close Combat Force at the speed of relevance," the Pentagon said.

A head-mounted display used by soldiers for battle and training employs sensors for night and thermal vision in addition to providing data for help in engaging targets and making tactical decisions, officials said.

"The program delivers enhanced situational awareness, enabling information sharing and decision-making in a variety of scenarios," Kipman said in a blog post.

https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/micros...ear-163608

Finally, the soldiers will be able to see those terrorists.

But seriously, $22 billion for helmets, that's the money that the Manhattan Project cost.

It seems wars are getting too expensive.

But does it come with minesweeper? That's the real question.

[arewethereyet]

I hope to Hell a lot of that $22 billion went to R&D, because even if it has all those features, $188k per pop seems insane.

I remember the hubbub some years ago when people were talking about the military buying toilet seats and hammers for hundreds of dollars apiece.  Military spending has routinely been outrageous.

When I was in basic toward the end of our cycle we had a day at the range.  Some of us had long ago passed our shooting requirements but there were some in the platoon who needed more practice in order to pass.  A couple of the drills took a group of about eight of us to another area of the range for the sole purpose of burning through ammo.  They said that it needed to be fired and used up because if they had leftover ammo it would reduce the next budget.  So, our little group were off by ourselves just shooting and reloading and shooting and reloading for the entire day.

[The Valkyrie]

Helmets that crash and need to be rebooted wvery few hours?

"Windows has experienced an error and needs to close."

Then a fucking blue screen of death appears.

Or, an annoying animated paperclip appears on your screen, "It looks like you're targeting a terrorist training camp! Would you like help?"

[The Architect Of Fate]

Helmets that crash and need to be rebooted wvery few hours?

"Windows has experienced an error and needs to close."

Then a fucking blue screen of death appears.

Or, an annoying animated paperclip appears on your screen, "It looks like you're targeting a terrorist training camp!  Would you like help?"

And constantly being asked if you want to update.

[Anomalocaris]

Since late 1990s, all 3 services have embarked on numerous types of “leapfrogging” weapon programs that promise to bypass normal evolution of military technology by translating emerging technologies into a giant leap in capability and a commanding lead for the US military. These programs have almost without exception failed.

[rado84]

Future joes are going to have a much better time

For as long as the helmets don't decide to update. When that happens, the helmets will be useless and the soldiers will see either BSOD or something like that...      

[The Grand Nudger]

We'll see what we do now. The lights do sometimes go out. The vehicles do fail to start. I've seen a armored wrecker...need an armored wrecker.

[AkiraTheViking]

Soldiers being Trained, Circa 2053, Colourized:

[onlinebiker]

I hope to Hell a lot of that $22 billion went to R&D, because even if it has all those features, $188k per pop seems insane.

I remember the hubbub some years ago when people were talking about the military buying toilet seats and hammers for hundreds of dollars apiece.  Military spending has routinely been outrageous.

When I was in basic toward the end of our cycle we had a day at the range.  Some of us had long ago passed our shooting requirements but there were some in the platoon who needed more practice in order to pass.  A couple of the drills took a group of about eight of us to another area of the range for the sole purpose of burning through ammo.  They said that it needed to be fired and used up because if they had leftover ammo it would reduce the next budget.  So, our little group were off by ourselves just shooting and reloading and shooting and reloading for the entire day.

On a ship it's called NARS.

Naval Ammunition Reclassification System.


...
In other words - toss it over the side.


The fun part is the grenades.

Thermites at night are spectacular underwater.

---

Helmets that crash and need to be rebooted wvery few hours?

"Windows has experienced an error and needs to close."

Then a fucking blue screen of death appears.

Or, an annoying animated paperclip appears on your screen, "It looks like you're targeting a terrorist training camp!  Would you like help?"

Or some smartass tech puts a video feed from Aliens II on your helmet HUD....