Overview
- The U.S. Army awarded $159 million to Anduril and $195 million to Rivet for SBMC prototypes that pair head-mounted displays with complementary wearables and edge computing.
- Anduril is leading the SBMC-A open software architecture on its Lattice platform, with partners including Meta, Qualcomm and Gentex to fuse sensors, night vision and battlefield data.
- Rivet, a startup with Palantir ties, is emphasizing comfort, ruggedization, utility and natural‑language voice interactions for logisticians, maintainers and other users.
- Initial prototype deliveries are expected about seven months after award, with Palmer Luckey saying production could scale to hundreds of units likely in 2027.
- The competitive, soldier‑feedback‑driven sprint aims to solve IVAS human‑factor issues such as discomfort and eyestrain while enabling tasks like drone control from a headset.