Phones and other smart devices are being tested across all branches of
the military. Seeing an opportunity, software firms and defense contractors are
developing apps that will enable soldiers to pass along intelligence, view
reconnaissance images or even pilot small drones by remote control.
"Do you
have any idea how long it takes to find the right map, unfold it, and find
where you're going? It's agonizing," he said.
Frustrated that he had to flip through dozens
of maps stuffed inside his chopper, Carlson, 31, loaded the documents onto his
personal iPad, enabling him to zoom in, zoom out and quickly move from one map
to another.
Carlson's
brainstorm shortened the time it took to pinpoint a location from "three
minutes to about 30 seconds," he recalled recently, and it soon helped
change the way the military is thinking about warfare. The Marines now have
more than 30 iPads in cockpits across their fleet of helicopters and fighter
jets.
For soldiers
in the 21st century, iPads, iPhones, Androids and other smart devices could
eventually be as common on the battlefield as helmets, canteens and rifles.
These
devices are being tested across all branches of the military. Seeing an
opportunity, software companies and defense contractors are developing mobile
applications that will enable soldiers to pass along intelligence, view
reconnaissance images or even pilot small drones by remote control.
This
high-tech hand-held revolution, of course, opens the military up to the same
problems that everybody else with a smart device faces — security threats and
concerns about dropped service. There are concerns among military strategists
about passing military secrets on a device that can easily be hacked.
In years
past, the Pentagon probably would have spent billions of dollars creating its
own custom devices, but modern technology offers a much cheaper alternative,
said Michael McCarthy, who leads an effort by the Army to test smartphones for
use on the battlefield.
The Army is
using iPhones, Androids and BlackBerrys in mock wartime situations in New Mexico and Texas
Such devices
are coming in handy in simulated security raids and checkpoint stops to take
pictures of Arabic writing and gather biometric data, such as fingerprints and
iris scans, McCarthy said.
"It's
all about information gathering, and tools to make the job easier," he
said.
The troops
are also testing about 95 mobile applications, or apps, designed to help
soldiers perform specific tasks with their cellphones. One app is dubbed
Soldier Eyes. "Imagine that you're dropped in an unknown location on a
moonless night," McCarthy said. "You open this app and through its
GPS coordinates, it shows you where you are. It shows you where your adjacent
units are."
It can also
provide cumulative information about the region, he said, showing how many
roadside bomb attacks have occurred and when they took place.
The app is
being developed by Overwatch Mobile Solutions, a subsidiary of Textron Inc., in
close collaboration with the Army.
"A
typical soldier carries a map, a compass, a radio and a GPS," said Evan
Corwin, a senior program manager at Overwatch. "This enables them to have
all of that on one device."
In all, the
Army said it has spent about $4.2 million over two years to develop the apps
and test smartphones.
The Air
Force and Navy also have pilot programs testing smart-device technology. But
the devices are risk-prone and susceptible to security breaches that could
threaten military secrets.
Internet
security firm McAfee Inc. recently found that malware, short for
"malicious software," targeting smartphones and tablets is on the
rise.
The
widespread adoption of mobile devices is likely to bring about "an
explosion" of attacks, McAfee said. "Given our historically fragile
cellular infrastructure and slow strides toward encryption, user and corporate
data may face serious risks."
Critics
wonder what will happen if a soldier's Android is hacked or infected with
malware.
"The
military is opening themselves up to serious problems," said Chris
Soghoian, a privacy and security researcher at the Center for Applied
Cybersecurity Research at Indiana
University
Storing data
on the phones will end up disclosing military information, or showing the enemy
precisely where the troops are through the devices' GPS transmitters, Soghoian
said. "It's a recipe for disaster."
Symantec
Corp., known for its personal computer security software, is developing a
product called O3 that officials say could secure wireless military networks.
Much of the company's planning will depend on how the Army wants to proceed on
smartphone security.
If the Army
was to decide to put a smartphone in the hands of every soldier, it alone would
need to buy 1.2 million phones. That could be a major source of revenue for
phone makers.
In the
coming years, defense giant Raytheon Co.
anticipates that the app market will be huge. The company, famous for building
2,000-pound bunker-busting bombs and Tomahawk cruise missiles, will unveil an
online store called Appsmart this year where military apps can be bought.
"We
think that within three years there will be a major move in the military toward
fielding mobile handsets," said Mark A. Bigham, Raytheon's vice president
of business development for defense and civil mission solutions. "We hope
Appsmart will play an important role in that initiative."
Commercial
apps typically sell for a couple of dollars because they often sell by the
millions. With far fewer made, military apps are expected to be more expensive
and could sell for as much as $500 apiece, Bigham said.
The company
has developed the Raytheon Advanced Tactical System, software that enables
troops to share sensitive information on smartphones. It has also developed
more than 20 apps. "There's a lot of companies large and small vying for
this marketplace," he said.
Harris Corp.
of Melbourne , Fla.
"Troops
aren't typically dropped in an area where AT&T and Verizon have
coverage," said Edward J. Zoiss, Harris' vice president of advanced
programs and technology. "That's where Harris comes in."
The company,
which also makes military radios, believes that the services will use smart
devices at the front lines in battle, and that KnightHawk will provide coverage.
Harris has also developed an app called Eyes-on-Target that enables troops to
share streaming video on their phones — rather than use radios and hand and arm
signals.
Even drone
aircraft may get a boost from these phones. Students at MIT and researchers at
Boeing Co. have demonstrated that a person can fly miniature drones with an
iPhone.
Imagine a
soldier pulling a drone out of a backpack and then controlling it to see
inaccessible spots on the battlefield, said Boeing technician Joshua Downs.
"It is applications such as this that are helping to move the technology
forward."
