In a victory for Palmer Luckey, Meta and Anduril work on mixed reality headsets for the military

Core Insights - Anduril and Meta are collaborating to develop extended reality (XR) devices for the U.S. military, marking a significant partnership for both companies [1][2] - The collaboration is part of the Soldier Borne Mission Command Next (SBMC) program, which was previously managed by Microsoft under a $22 billion contract for augmented reality (AR) glasses [2] - The new devices will utilize Meta's AI model and Anduril's command and control software to provide real-time battlefield intelligence to soldiers [3] Company Developments - Anduril has taken over the management of the SBMC program from Microsoft, which will remain as a cloud provider, indicating a shift in military procurement strategies [2] - The product family being developed is named EagleEye, which reflects the initial vision of Anduril's co-founder Palmer Luckey [6] - Luckey's past experiences with Meta and Oculus are influencing the current collaboration, showcasing a reconciliation between the companies [4][8] Industry Context - The partnership highlights the growing interest in military applications of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), suggesting a lucrative market for XR technologies in defense [2] - The collaboration aims to create a competitive landscape for mixed reality glasses, with multiple suppliers expected to emerge for military use [2] - The integration of advanced technologies from both companies aims to enhance the capabilities of soldiers on the battlefield, aligning with modern military needs [3]