Marine Corps Requests Information About Commercial Smartphone Technology

With handheld technologies getting cheaper and the use of commercial smartphones on the rise, the Marine Corps is looking into how the devices can be used to meet military requirements.

In a Request for Information published to the public on Monday, the Corps is asking the smartphone industry to submit plans on how it can adequately support the military's use of such devices in the field. 

Based on various publicly announced partnerships between high assurance platform providers and mobile handheld device manufacturers, the Marine Corps believes this evolving commercial demand, if leveraged appropriately, could help offset the traditional high cost surrounding this capability.

One possible drawback to the Marine Corps using smartphones, the RFI states, is that by the time the devices are certified and accredited for use in the field, the technology becomes antiquated and support is no longer available by the manufacturer.

The Marine Corps has already tested using these new commercial technologies. A handful of Marine aviators are currently using Apple's iPad in Afghanistan to carry navigational charts.

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