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The competition is on for authorized Apple re-sellers as the Air Force Special Operations Command is looking to bring in 2,861 Apple iPad2 tablets to aid crew members during flights, according to an AFSOC notice and NextGov report.
The Dec. 29, 2011 notice indicated the Air Force wants a solution that can “provide near-instantaneous, seamless, standardized updates to aircrews.” The iPads would replace paper manuals currently used.
According to NextGov, the group determined the iPad as the only tablet meeting command requirements as a result of a three-month product evaluation. The command tested tablets in five aircraft, NextGov reported.
The Air Force indicated that using electronic flight bags, approved by the Federal Aviation Administration in May 2011, would be cost-efficient because the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency frequently updates its Flight Information Publications for navigation.
NextGov reported that the Air Mobility Command tested electronic flight bags in 2011 and will decide in the spring if electronic systems will be integrated fleet-wide. The command plans to include Good.iware software on its iPads as well, which encrypts files to secure data in case a device is stolen.
