An increasing number of consumer devices are being used by the U.S. military. iPhone applications are intended to help locate and neutralize adversaries.
Defense contractor Raytheon has developed an application for the iPhone. The app, One Force Tracker, shows on a map where friendly forces and opponents are located. The app also enables secure communications. According to the U.S. defense company, it is therefore also useful for emergency services (ambulance, fire department).
Through a central server, location data can be sent to soldiers in the field. In this way they can be alerted to terrorist activities, said Raytheon’s CTO during the presentation of the iPhone app. It can also help reduce casualties from “friendly fire.”
App for snipers
U.S. troops have been using iPhones and iPod Touch devices in Iraq and Afghanistan for some time. The app Vcommunicator produces spoken and written translations from Arabic, Kurdish, and two Afghan languages.
Snipers in the same regions use another app: BulletFlight. That software helps perform a ballistic calculation before taking shots.