<p>Microsoft has won a massive Pentagon contract for augmented reality headgear for soldiers worth $21.88 billion over the next decade, the company and the US military announced Wednesday.</p>.<p>The headsets, based on commercially available HoloLens, will make soldiers safer and more effective, according to Microsoft technical fellow Alex Kipman.</p>.<p>The Defense Department said the production agreement is for five years with a renewal option -- that could make the contract worth "in excess of $21.88 billion" over 10 years, a Pentagon official said in a statement.</p>.<p>Microsoft will rapidly start producing the so-called Integrated Augmentation System under the contract.</p>.<p>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.</p>.<p>A head-mounted display used by soldiers for battle and training will take advantage of sensors for night and thermal vision as well as engaging targets and making tactical decisions, officials said.</p>.<p>"The program delivers enhanced situational awareness, enabling information sharing and decision-making in a variety of scenarios," Kipman said in a blog post.</p>.<p>The deal deepens the tie between the Redmond, Washington-based technology titan and the US military.</p>.<p>The Pentagon late last year said it is sticking with its decision to award a $10 billion cloud computing contract to Microsoft, despite Amazon's claims that former President Donald Trump improperly influenced the process.</p>
<p>Microsoft has won a massive Pentagon contract for augmented reality headgear for soldiers worth $21.88 billion over the next decade, the company and the US military announced Wednesday.</p>.<p>The headsets, based on commercially available HoloLens, will make soldiers safer and more effective, according to Microsoft technical fellow Alex Kipman.</p>.<p>The Defense Department said the production agreement is for five years with a renewal option -- that could make the contract worth "in excess of $21.88 billion" over 10 years, a Pentagon official said in a statement.</p>.<p>Microsoft will rapidly start producing the so-called Integrated Augmentation System under the contract.</p>.<p>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.</p>.<p>A head-mounted display used by soldiers for battle and training will take advantage of sensors for night and thermal vision as well as engaging targets and making tactical decisions, officials said.</p>.<p>"The program delivers enhanced situational awareness, enabling information sharing and decision-making in a variety of scenarios," Kipman said in a blog post.</p>.<p>The deal deepens the tie between the Redmond, Washington-based technology titan and the US military.</p>.<p>The Pentagon late last year said it is sticking with its decision to award a $10 billion cloud computing contract to Microsoft, despite Amazon's claims that former President Donald Trump improperly influenced the process.</p>