A new partnership between Meta and Anduril Industries may result in U.S. warfighters being equipped with high-tech extended reality helmets that “transform how warfighters see, sense, and integrate battlefield information.”
In a Thursday press release, Anduril Industries announced that it was partnering with Meta to “design, build, and field a range of integrated XR [extended reality] products that provide warfighters with enhanced perception and enable intuitive control of autonomous platforms on the battlefield.”
The defense industry company emphasized that the development of the extended reality systems for the U.S. military has been funded through private capital and will not require any taxpayer funding. Anduril Industries added that the effort is intended to save the U.S. military “billions of dollars by utilizing high-performance components and technology originally built for commercial use.”
According to Anduril Industries, the extended reality systems will integrate Meta’s mixed reality capabilities into the defense industry company’s Lattice platform, which uses an artificial intelligence command and control system to provide soldiers with “real-time battlefield intelligence” based on data obtained from thousands of different sources.
“By incorporating role-specific AR/VR interfaces into the products, soldiers will gain intuitive access to Lattice’s analytical capabilities, a meaningful source of data for decision advantage,” the press release stated. “This integration will transform how warfighters see, sense, and integrate battlefield information, providing immersive technology solutions that enhance tactical decision-making in combat scenarios.”
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Commenting on the partnership between Meta and Anduril Industries, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said, “Meta has spent the last decade building AI and AR to enable the computing platform of the future. We’re proud to partner with Anduril to help bring these technologies to the American servicemembers that protect our interests at home and abroad.”
In Thursday’s press release, Anduril Industries Founder Palmer Luckey claimed that “of all the areas where dual-use technology can make a difference for America, this is the one I am most excited about.” Luckey added, “My mission has long been to turn warfighters into technomancers, and the products we are building with Meta do just that.”
Anduril Industries noted that the upcoming project comes “at a pivotal moment in the evolution of national defense.” The press release explained that both companies are “committed to maintaining America’s technological edge while reinforcing our economic and national security.”
“The world is entering a new era of computing that will give people access to limitless intelligence and extend their senses and perception in ways that have never been possible before,” Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth said. “Our national security benefits enormously from American industry bringing these technologies to life.”
