Back in May of this year the U.S. Army began field testing smart phones such as the iPhone and Android phones through a program called Connecting Soldiers to Digital Applications (CSDA).
Recruits were given the iPhone in basic training to study army manuals and learn the Soldier’s creed and even have a mood tracker to monitor psychological well-being under the Apps for Army (A4A).
Today, the U.S. Army announced they want to issue a smart phone to every soldier (iPhone or Android – no mention of Windows 7 operating system). The U.S. Army is not just focused on smart phones they are reviewing the iPad, and e-readers the Kindle and the Nook.
The one very large issue for using smart phones on the battlefield has been and continues to be security. They are rolling out a Common Access Reader with the phones to enable secure access for emails and contacts. Security for the applications is a different story. The article states “the Army must first work through the complex task of securing the data and the network before it sanctions smart phones on the battlefield.”
The U.S. Army sees the smart phones as a “force multiplier” with the goal being “for soldiers to get information when they need it, wherever they are.”
In my humble opinion the potential for soldiers to use smart phones on the battlefield is huge. Real time satellite data, controlling drones, gathering and securing on the ground intelligence and so much more.
