UK soldiers use iPad app to train for Afghan operations

At the Royal School of Artillery in Wiltshire, UK, troops have been learning how to manage a fire mission (firing artillery at the enemy from several miles away) with the help of iPads. Early reports indicate that the technique has accelerated their learning.

BBC Radio's Newsbeat had an exclusive look at new training being given to these soldiers. One trainee described the app as a nice alternative to classwork. "This has been designed to let us practice," said Lance Bombardier Jason Markham, "that when we get out there into theatre we're a lot slicker. It makes it more fun instead of being sat in a classroom looking at a presentation being given information."

Training officer Major Rich Gill, who assisted with the app's deployment, sees additional benefits, calling it a way to reduce training time and more quickly prepare troops for their time in Afghanistan as well as their return home.

The group that developed the training app is also working on a 3D app for new pilots. It's an interesting use of the technology and emphasises the notion that the iPad's best feature is the fact that it's a blank slate for developers. Whatever app it's running, that's what it becomes.

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Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/10813964

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At the Royal School of Artillery in Wiltshire, UK, troops have been learning how to manage a fire mission (firing artillery at the enemy...

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Andrew

Oh, yes, PCs of all kinds have had touch screens since the 80s... /sarcasm

The point they're making is that the device becomes a dedicated tool for the task at hand.

A Windows PC or a Mac wouldn't work exactly the same for this unless you have a "kiosk" mode.

August 01 2010 at 3:19 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

W Park

There will be tech that geeks will prefer and the stuff for the rest of us. The hardest part for windows 7 to be shoe horned into a slate is the more touch oriented it becomes, the more kludgy it will be. Geeks will love all the DLLs and registry tweaks it will require, but for the avereage person wanting an affordable slate experience -naaaah. Also, to design for touch from ground up requires cost that won't be recouped by selling near cost which will be the case for most manufacturers. Expect a flood of crapware as the mills in Shenzen run overtime delivering one trick ponies running windows 7 tablet edition with all kinds of buttons, USB ports, and SD card slots that freeze, require reboots, and just don't behave well with touch outside the few apps and tricks designed for touch. As for Windows Phone, fuhgeddaboudit as people just don't want something too different no matter how good it might be -and in microsofts case it will be the second coming of Kin.

It'll be iOS and Android and thats it. I have far more hopes for HP and Nokia as they embark on the software/hardware path.

August 01 2010 at 12:25 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

shithawk

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, TAXPAYERS OF ALL AGES! iOS 4.2 FEATURE LIST

- Now features a direct "upload to WikiLeaks.org" button
- Handy "Friendly Fire" Altered Reality camera app (iPhone 4 only) - Spot those friendly targets quicker
- Comes with over 100 regional dialect translations of "We warned him, he would not put down his weapon. I'm sorry I killed your child."
- New landscape mode national debt calculator allows you to see the entire national debt without the need to scroll

August 01 2010 at 12:22 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply