Anduril and Meta Partner to Develop Military XR Devices

In a remarkable turn of events, Anduril and Meta have announced a partnership to develop extended reality (XR) devices for the U.S. military. This collaboration represents a significant milestone for Palmer Luckey, co-founder of Anduril and former Oculus founder, who is now working alongside Meta after a complicated history.

The partnership is rooted in the Soldier Borne Mission Command Next (SBMC) program, previously known as the Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) Next. Originally awarded to Microsoft in 2018 with a $22 billion budget to develop AR glasses for soldiers, the program faced challenges that led the Army to transfer management to Anduril in early 2025, while Microsoft remains as a cloud provider.

Meta’s involvement is crucial because their Reality Labs division provides the core AR/VR technology, including the use of Meta’s Llama AI model. Anduril contributes its Lattice command and control software, creating a powerful ecosystem known as EagleEye. This system is designed to deliver real-time battlefield intelligence directly to soldiers through mixed reality headsets.

Palmer Luckey’s journey adds a compelling narrative to this partnership. After being fired from Facebook in 2017 due to political controversies, Luckey founded Anduril, focusing on defense technology. His quote, “My mission has long been to turn warfighters into technomancers,” reflects his vision of empowering soldiers with cutting-edge technology.

The EagleEye product family, named after Luckey’s original headset concept, represents a full ecosystem of XR devices. This collaboration leverages the strengths of both companies: Meta’s AR/VR hardware and AI expertise combined with Anduril’s battlefield software solutions.

This partnership is a prime example of how technology giants and defense startups can join forces to innovate military capabilities. By integrating AI-driven augmented reality with command and control systems, soldiers gain enhanced situational awareness and decision-making tools on the battlefield.

For the broader tech industry, this signals a growing trend where extended reality and AI are becoming critical components of defense technology. The collaboration also highlights the importance of adaptive partnerships, where companies with different strengths come together to solve complex challenges.

As Anduril and Meta move forward with EagleEye, the military’s vision of augmented soldiers equipped with real-time data overlays is closer to reality. This technology promises to redefine battlefield dynamics, offering unprecedented tactical advantages.