In the future, a smartphone will transform into a weapon for modern warfare if the US Army has its way. After having held a contest called 'Apps for the Army' to source out iPhone and Android apps for military use in 2010, the US Army is now encouraging third party developers to create smartphone apps that can be used for military and national security. Eventually, the US Army aims to create a specialized app store.
Smartphone features connecting civilians to each other and assisting them to locate nearby gas stations will soon help soldiers locate combat units and important crossroads on a map. Moreover, smartphone features enhanced through new apps will help them explore new ways of open firing on enemies, asserts Tim Ownings, deputy program manager at Army Unmanned Aircraft System. However, this will take a long time to materialize, he adds.
In its endeavor, the US Army is making 'Mobile Computing Environment' kits available to third party developers to create apps for these 'Joint Battle Command-Platform' phones.