Rifle? Check. Uniform? Check. iPad 2? Check.
That's what the morning rundown of military-supply staples will look like come this fall, when 8,000 troops in Singapore will be given second generation Apple tablets as a standard-issue item of equipment. According to the nation's defense department personnel, the deployment of iPads to soldiers will all but certainly be well-received by the tech-savvy young new recruits.
So... what military purpose does the iPad 2 serve? We're still a little hazy on that one, although a few suggestions have been posed:
Troops can use the iPad's built-in camera to take photos and video clips in the field which can be uploaded to the SAF's online platform, LEARNet. Soldiers can use these photos and videos to carry out post-mission assessments. Soldiers can send questions to their commanders through a live messaging system and group chat discussions can be held.
Okay, perhaps that scenario is a little far-fetched. What isn't far fetched, however, is that troops in Singapore - as of this November - are going to be equipped with cutting edge tablet technology. Defense chief Neo Kian Hong says adopting the iPad would allow the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) to "take advantage of the technological abilities of the city-state's youth." He told the Straits Times newspaper that "by exploiting the use of popular and current information and communications technology, we are able to harness our advantage of today's technologically savvy servicemen."
Some, of course, are obviously saying that Singapore is dangling iPads in front of young men as a way to drive recruitment. But that argument really doesn't hold up. In Singapore, every "able-bodied male citizen" or "permanent resident" over the age of 18 must go through a mandatory two years of military training and instruction. Except now, he can do it with Angry Birds.
Source: The Times of India
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