Sure, the US Army could resume to develop high-priced proprietary gadgets for use in the field, or they could make the switch to (relatively) inexpensive off-the-shelf smartphones. It's a change that's been considered for some time, and the Army is now at the tail end of a six-week trial of more than 300 Android, iPhone, and Windows Phone devices for soldierly use. The results have been promising, according to regulation to program executive Michael McCarthy, stating that younger wing who grew up with smartphones and handhelds are very easeful using them for soldierly purposes.



Soldiers in the field can text GPS coordinates, send picture show of their surroundings, or file common reports squarely from their phone. Despite assured results, the Army still has some hurdles to jump before taking the plunge -- some of the phones had OS bugs, others (specifically, iPhones running on AT&T) couldn't get signal in the New Mexico and Texas testing areas, and none of the devices were secure enough for use in overseas operations. The Army is being how tying the phones to tactical radios to help encrypt transmissions, and are testing self contained "cell tower in a suitcase" equipment to ensure inclusion in probing locations. The soldierly hopes to push out limited deployment this year, and Army program exec Ed Mazzanti has stated that they expect to select two mobile overhead systems for standard use, noting that "iPhone and Android have been very well received." Sure, using assorted platforms may help protect brigade against cyber attacks, but we can't be the only ones worried the Army is unintentionally breeding a generation of fanboys with guns, can we?

US Army runs smartphone trial, could see 'limited deployment' later this year by birth appeared on Engadget on Sat, 16 Jul 2011 19:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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