[TechRadar draws on a report from the U.S. Department of Defense (which has been calling itself the Department of War), for this story about a new use the military has developed for presence-evoking Microsoft HoloLens augmented reality headsets. See the DoW report for more images and details, including this:

“From a conference room back in Aviano, Air Force Airman 1st Class Delaney Boehm, a 724th AMS aircraft services specialist, guided the personnel in Vicenza through the joint inspection, circling areas on her screen that she wanted them to focus on.

‘It was a great experience that showcased our squadrons’ innovative approach to conducting routine inspections and allowed a technician in the field to work hands-free while receiving real-time guidance from a remote expert,’ said Air Force Staff Sgt. Devin Robert, 725th AMS noncommissioned officer in charge of network operations. ‘The ability to highlight individual objects in the technician’s field of view goes beyond the capabilities of a traditional video call.’

Although the remote inspection was just a proof of concept, it demonstrated flexibility and ease of use to joint partners and to the headquarters Air Mobility Command staff.

‘There is a push in the air transportation career field to explore new ways of accomplishing our mission, irrespective of geographical constraints,’ said Air Force Lt. Col. Katherine Wilson, 724th AMS commander. ‘We tried the HoloLens alongside a traditional video call, and the immersive hands-free component of the HoloLens experience streamlined communication and overall speed of the inspection.’

Leveraging this new technology, the 725th AMS is continuing to refine processes and enabling mission execution despite the geographical separation within the operations wing.”

–Matthew]

[Image: Credit: US Department of War]

Microsoft HoloLens is arming the soldier of the future – but not in the way you might think

The US Air Force has given the HoloLens a new lease of life

By Benedict Collins
March 2, 2026

Microsoft offered its HoloLens goggles to the US Army back in 2018 as a battlefield heads-up display to enhance situational awareness.

While the kit was capable of offering navigational data, building layouts, and fields of fire to soldiers – users complained of suffering from headaches, nausea, and eye-strain during testing.

While Microsoft has since handed the project over to Anduril, some HoloLens headsets have found a new lease of life helping the US Air Force load aircraft.

Balancing an aircraft from behind a desk

Outside of the glamour of the Air Force that films like Top Gun aim to portray, much of the Air Force’s job is logistics – and that means loading and unloading aircraft across the globe. In the words of General Dwight D. Eisenhower, “You will not find it difficult to prove that battles, campaigns, and even wars have been won or lost primarily because of logistics.”

Now, loading an aircraft is one thing, but balancing it is another. An unbalanced load can throw off all the regular flight characteristics a pilot would expect from an aircraft they have flown for thousands of hours before – with deadly outcomes. The problem is, the airmen with the skills and knowledge required to properly balance an aircraft can’t be on every airbase at all times.

To solve this, the Air Force and Army teamed up to use the HoloLens VR goggles to turn any enlisted man into a qualified aircraft loading expert from anywhere in the world – all they need is a HoloLens, a laptop, and a Wi-Fi connection.

The development and practical application of this new augmented reality is being used by the 724th Air Mobility Squadron, based in Aviano, Italy, who have been assisting the Army’s 173rd Airborne Brigade, based in Vicenza, Italy, in the safe loading and balancing of aircraft.

725th Air Mobility Squadron superintendent, Chief Master Sgt. Anthony Sewejkis explained that a year was spent working with Microsoft to iron out the wrinkles in the software. “Now it’s plug and play. We can connect [from] anywhere just using the HoloLens, a Wi-Fi hotspot and a laptop,” Sewejkis explained.

A qualified airman can now sit behind a laptop anywhere in the world and see through the eyes of the person loading the plane, pointing out any irregularities in how cargo is secured or balanced in real time with visual cues through the headset.

While the headsets may not do much to help the external reputation of the much beloved Chair Force, the 521st Air Mobility Operations Wing, parent of 724, stated that the technology helps to “increase the speed of maneuver to sustain joint force lethality across the competition continuum.”