http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/05/11-3
Monday, May 11, 2009
The Independent/UK
iPhones in Iraq - The US Army's New Weapon
Applications prove invaluable for soldiers on the battlefield
by Kim Sengupta in Basra
In Basra's Hayaniyah district, a notorious stronghold of Shia
militias, a US army sergeant leading a patrol faced two suspects in
the street. Amid rising tension he produced a gadget from his pocket
and after a few minutes of its use the matter was amicably resolved.
The Iraqis and the Americans went their separate ways.
[(flickr photo by Paul J. S.)] The equipment being used - described
by the US Army as ideal for 21st-century warfare - was an Apple iPod
Touch. In a matter of minutes the soldier had established through
words and images that the two men were not considered to be serious
threats and detaining them was unnecessary.
Apple's iPods and iPhones, symbols of a modern urban lifestyle, are
now in use in a very different setting - the front lines of Iraq and
Afghanistan. They are, say the US forces, ideal for the age of
"network centric warfare", relatively easy to use, safe with secure
software, and far cheaper than manufacturing a military version.
The sheer versatility of the kit - with the capability of over
30,000 programmes - allows a huge variety of functions needed for
operations ranging from providing language translations to the
transmitting of sensitive information and working out trajectories
for snipers. Projects are on the way to use them as guidance systems
for bomb disposal robots and receivers of aerial footage from
unmanned drone aircraft.
The US Marine Corps is funding an application that would allow
soldiers to upload photographs of detained suspects, along with
written reports, into a biometric database. The software would match
faces, in theory making it easier to track suspects after they're
released.
Members of the British military who have seen the Apple instruments
in action drool about the opportunities on offer. The Ministry of
Defence, however, remains wary of security implications and has "no
plans" at present to go down the American path.
But Lieutenant Colonel Jim Ross, the director of the US Army's
intelligence, electronic warfare and sensors operation, believes the
iPod "may be all that the personnel need".
"What gives it added advantage is that a lot of them have their own
personal ones so they are familiar with them," he said.
Another plus is the cost. The iPod touch (which soldiers can use
over a secure WiFi network) retails for around $230 (£150) and the
iPhone for $600. Bulk orders placed by the Pentagon bring further
savings. The manufacture of a specific military model would be much
more expensive.
Robert Emerson, a security analyst who has advised foreign
governments on computerised warfare, said: "The US military has had
a reputation for being somewhat heavy handed, with justice. But what
they are doing with iPods and iPhones show they can also be nimble
on their feet. Other militaries should learn to be equally open
minded."
Copyright 2009 Independent News and Media Limited