The U.S. Army invests $159 million in "superhero" goggles — and no longer asks if the soldier wants to see more
The U.S. Army is investing $159 million in "superhero" mixed reality for its future fighters. The Army's SBMC program uses Anduril to develop modular mixed reality headsets that combine vision, intelligence, and command tools into a single system. Anduril Industries has secured a $159 million contract with the U.S. Army to prototype a mixed reality headset. The award is part of the Soldier Borne Mission Command (SBMC) program, which replaces the U.S. Army's Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS). The company claims the system is designed to give soldiers "superhero abilities" by integrating night vision, augmented reality, and artificial intelligence on one platform.
Does not enhance combat skills.
Eliminates the possibility of not seeing.
Levels of Control
| Level | Type of Control | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 🔹 Level 1 | Basic Awareness | Raw sensor data (thermal imaging, night vision) displayed visually. No AI filtering. |
| 🔹 Level 2 | Assisted Perception | Augmented reality marks targets, terrain obstacles, friendly units. Human makes decisions. |
| 🔹 Level 3 | Tactical Recommendations | AI suggests routes, threats, engagement options. Soldier approves or cancels. |
| 🔹 Level 4 | Autonomous Execution | AI predicts enemy movement, auto-marks targets, suggests optimal firing solutions. Human makes final decision to engage. |
| 🔹 Level 5 | Cognitive Integration | System learns soldier's habits, anticipates intentions, preloads data before it's needed. Seamless human-machine symbiosis. |
By 2027, SBMC will reach Levels 4–5, turning infantry into thinking, reacting, and predicting combat nodes.
The Shift
The U.S. Army is not just upgrading equipment.
It is perfecting human cognitive abilities.
Sources
Sources
- Army-Technology.com — Anduril SBMC mixed-reality helmet contract details & concept
- Defense One — Anduril vs. Rivet in the combat-headset market: rival approaches & vision
- UploadVR — Plans to deliver hundreds of AR headsets to the U.S. Army for SBMC trials
- Bloomberg — Anduril & Rivet contract values and scale of the SBMC programme
- Future War Tech — SBMC software architecture and hardware integration
All data is public, verifiable, and dated.
Tool: How to Recognize a Systemic Tech Protest
(Template for analyzing any solutions that replace choice with automation)
- Is the technology's goal not enhancement, but replacement of human perception?
- Is the language of "all-in-one", "no need to think", "only this way can you survive" used?
- Is there decentralization of responsibility — who is to blame if the AI is wrong?
- Are new generations involved as passive users rather than active decision-makers?
- Is there an informational imperative: "If you don't use it, you're dead"?
If "yes" to 3+ — this is not equipment.
It is the gradual evacuation of humans from the decision-making cycle.
Conclusion
"Superhero abilities" are not fantasy.
They are a concession:
Those who cannot make decisions receive an algorithm that does it for them.
The next step is not modernization.
It is the refusal to understand that war remains human.
But the question remains:
What happens if the algorithm starts seeing enemies where there are none?
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