The National Spectrum Consortium has awarded Cole Engineering Services (CESI) $31.3 million in an agreement (NSC-20-2123) to boost the US Army’s augmented and virtual reality (VR/AR) 5G networks.
The By Light Professional IT Services firm will lead a group of contractors to build AR and VR prototype networks at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) in Washington, the firm announced on Tuesday.
CESI will complete the project in three phases to demonstrate emerging VR/AR technologies as Army personnel prepare to use them for upcoming mission planning and instruction.
CESI, along with partners Eridan Communications, Athena Technologies, and Prizm XR, will back the US Department of Defense and its 5G Strategy Implementation Plan, which outlines the US’s policy on developing the nation’s 5G ambitions.
Thomas Fransson, CESI Senior Vice-President of Operations for Simulation Products and Services, said:
“Our 5G network solution addresses the breadth of challenges presented by foliage and weather, vastly improves the performance of the network in terms of number of participants and reduces latency”
The news comes after the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) tasked CESI with building a Prototype Resilient Operations Testbed for Urban Operations (PROTEUS) in December 2019, a SAM.gov post read.
Global XR Firms Ramp Up VR, AR Defence Solutions
The global VR/AR market has seen extensive progress in recent months, namely after King Crow Studios and the US Air Force (USAF) inked a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase III contract.
The deal, worth $6.5 million and running up to 2025, will train B-52 pilots with the studio’s innovative mixed reality solution.
Swedish aerospace and defence giant Saab teamed up with Finnish VR firm Varjo Technologies in June to develop a ‘human eye’ mixed reality (MR) training solution for Gripen E/F fighter pilots.
US tech giant Microsoft will also release its Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) mixed reality headset for service to the US Army in September, the company announced earlier this week.
National Security Solutions provider Kratos Defense & Security also unveiled its Aircrew Combat Mission Training (ACMT) software in early January, which aims to instruct helicopter fighters in numerous combat scenarios with immersive training modules.
