U.S. Air Force planning to purchase up to 18,000 iPads - Polidicks

[release] The U.S. Air Force is thinking about buying some iPads — somewhere between 63 and 18,000 of them. In a notice posted on the Federal Business Opportunities website, the Air Force’s Air Mobility Command office says it is specifically interested in purchasing the iPad 2, but will also consider other brand-name tablet devices. The tablets will be used as electronic flight bags for flight crew members and trainers — replacing the hefty bag of manuals and navigation charts currently used by pilots and navigators that can weigh as much as 40 pounds. “The airline industry is way ahead of us on this,” Capt. Kathleen Ferrero, a spokeswoman for the command, told Bloomberg News. “Most if not all the major airlines are already switching to tablets.” Apple products are increasingly being embraced at the federal level, both by the military and other federal agencies. As of September the U.S. Marines had more than 30 iPads in cockpits across their fleet of helicopters and fighter jets, The Times reported, and just this week the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said its employees would be getting iPhones rather than BlackBerry smartphones. However, in the case of the electronic flight bags, the Air Force is not Apple or bust. While the iPad 2 is the only tablet it mentions by name in the posting, the Air Mobility Office said it will also consider brand name or “equal devices.” Remanufactured or “gray market” items will not be considered.[/release] [url]http://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-us-air-force-18000-ipads-20120210,0,8910.story[/url] I have mixed views. On one hand, its not easy to use, on the other hand, its a waste of money. But they might end up playing angry birds. Or get hacked. I think the cons still outweight the pros.

The Ipad is a great tool theres no doubting it. The consumer airlines already proved it in the basic forms of GPS and tracking etc. The Military can even further expand on it exponentially . Yeah it's an ipad shut the apple talk, It's the fact it is a product that can be universally used, and if it helps my military in any form I'll embrace it.

[QUOTE=shian;34676358]I have mixed views. On one hand, its not easy to use, on the other hand, its a waste of money. But they might end up playing angry birds. Or get hacked. I think the cons still outweight the pros.[/QUOTE]The Airforce isn't going to choose a device that can be easily hack, nor are they going to allow non-whitelisted software onto government computers. They know a lot more about computers and security than you do.

[QUOTE=ExplodingGuy;34676384]The Airforce isn't going to choose a device that can be easily hack, nor are they going to allow non-whitelisted software onto government computers. They know a lot more about computers and security than you do.[/QUOTE] US Drones.

In 20XX Apple unleashed the ultimate weapon upon the world: iSoldier. I wonder how pissed they'd get when they drop the iPad

Not to mention the whole thing about the goverment officials using super simple passwords and all the "hacking" going on.

"Between 63 and 18,000" what, of all estimates, just, what.

I could see how it could be a helpful tool in the cockpit.

I could see them playing angry birds on longer trips

[QUOTE=Petrussen;34676670]I could see them playing angry birds on longer trips[/QUOTE] My brother rode along in C-130's and pilots would bring DVDs along on the C-130J models because apparently there's a DVD player in the cockpit for "training videos." (and a glass cockpit where all the gauges are replaced with screens) Once you get up in the air and kick on autopilot there's really not much to do except babysit the computer.

[img]http://s17.postimage.org/dwy04oqnj/Capture.png[/img]

[QUOTE=AtomicWaffle;34676805][img]http://s17.postimage.org/dwy04oqnj/Capture.png[/img][/QUOTE] I don't get it

[QUOTE=Bittorrent;34676811]I don't get it[/QUOTE] it's a far fetch but he probably means the navy is preparing to confront iran and the us air force helps along with purchasing 18k ipads or it just shows the differences of priorities between 2 divisions

[QUOTE=Elexar;34676992]it's a far fetch but he probably means the navy is preparing to confront iran and the us air force helps along with purchasing 18k ipads or it just shows the differences of priorities between 2 divisions[/QUOTE] no

It's kinda bad that the army gets iPads due to apple products being generally shit when it comes to withstanding impact force. Every damn person with an iPhone that I know has a cracked screen, whereas my friends with other brands of smartphones have dropped them only have a few scratches.

[QUOTE=Bittorrent;34676811]I don't get it[/QUOTE] Iran Ipad Yeah, I don't get the humor either.

[QUOTE=Sie-Sveinhund;34677121] I don't get the [B]humor[/B] either.[/QUOTE] you might, however, get the humo[I]u[/I]r

[QUOTE=Sunday_Roast;34677106]It's kinda bad that the army gets iPads due to apple products being generally shit when it comes to withstanding impact force. Every damn person with an iPhone that I know has a cracked screen, whereas my friends with other brands of smartphones have dropped them only have a few scratches.[/QUOTE] I imagine they'd contact Apple and see if they can them more ruggedised and maybe soldiers are going to have a bit more respect for the stuff they're given.

[QUOTE=Pelican;34677129]you might, however, get the humo[I]u[/I]r[/QUOTE] worst attempt at a zing british english has loads of words ending with -our like colour, humour, harbour, flavour, labour which lazy americans shortened to color, humor, harbor, flavor, labor

[QUOTE=Elexar;34677231]worst attempt at a zing british english has loads of words ending with -our like colour, humour, harbour, flavour, labour which lazy americans shortened to color, humor, harbor, flavor, labor[/QUOTE] We're just posh bastards. Crummy Americans just can't do it right. :v:

Such a waste of money, they should go for a cheaper tablet, and if they used Android they could customize it more for their use of the device

iRan from the iPad

[QUOTE=CakeMaster7;34677565]Such a waste of money, they should go for a cheaper tablet, and if they used Android they could customize it more for their use of the device[/QUOTE] I believe they have their reasons to choose the iPad. They aren't dumbfucks.

On my flight from Italy to Qatar (and onwards to Oman), I looked in the cockpit as I got on the and my pilot was playing Angry Birds. On the one hand, I'm ok with this because it teaches him about trajectories of a takeoff. On the other it's bad because it also deals with the trajectories of crashing...

[QUOTE=markg06;34677192]I imagine they'd contact Apple and see if they can them more ruggedised [B]and maybe soldiers are going to have a bit more respect for the stuff they're given.[/B][/QUOTE]Haha, easier said than done. There's a British military term for something that can survive a soldier, "Squaddy proof", I think. Very few things, even military equipment, are squaddy proof. If it's not broken due to normal combat usage, it'll get broken by e.g. bored squaddies chewing the rubber bits on night vision scopes and such.

[QUOTE=CubeManv2;34676369]The Ipad is a great tool theres no doubting it. The consumer airlines already proved it in the basic forms of GPS and tracking etc. The Military can even further expand on it exponentially . Yeah it's an ipad shut the apple talk, It's the fact it is a product that can be universally used, and if it helps my military in any form I'll embrace it.[/QUOTE] Jailbreak it and you'll have the ultimate military PDA.

[QUOTE=Sgt Doom;34678210]Haha, easier said than done. There's a British military term for something that can survive a soldier, [B]"Squaddy Proof"[/B], I think. Very few things, even military equipment, are squaddy proof. If it's not broken due to normal combat usage, it'll get broken by e.g. bored squaddies chewing the rubber bits on night vision scopes and such.[/QUOTE] Instantly made me think of X-Com and that equipment should survive a hand grenade blast.

So now when the plane gets hit by an EMP not only is it falling out of the sky but the pilot has fuck all idea where he's falling into. Woo! I still think that nothing will beat a pilot with a map, otherwise why would it have worked so well for the best part of a century? Always, [i]always[/i] carry paper and pen systems alongside all your electronics. Paper doesn't short out, crash or just generally fuck up.

They're going to glue them to the sides of helicopters and humvees, to make them nearly impenetrable by enemy guns. That is, of course, until they hit the glass.

[QUOTE=joost1120;34678562]They're going to glue them to the sides of helicopters and humvees, to make them nearly impenetrable by enemy guns. That is, of course, until they hit the glass.[/QUOTE] Might as well save the money on making bombs and load old Nokia phones into the bomber planes.