US Air Force may buy 18,000 Apple iPads for cargo aircraft
The Air Mobility Command's planned purchase could prove to be the largest single federal order for iPad 2 units, according to Nextgov. The site spotted the AMC's plans in a Federal Business Opportunities posting, where it revealed it plans to buy a "minimum of 63 and a maximum of 18,000 iPad 2" units or "equal devices."
Though the iPad was the only tablet named specifically in the listing, Lt. Col. Glen Roberts, AMC public affairs director, said the command seeks "a tablet device" but "not necessarily an iPad."
The Air Force seeks proposals from tablet makers and seeks to obtain them at the lowest possible fixed price. A move to tablets, iPad or otherwise, would allow the AMC to adopt an electronic flight publication system to save time and money, as well as boost efficiency.
iPads have been taking to the skies ever since the Federal Aviation Admisitration signed off on the use of Apple's touchscreen tablet as an electronic flight bag last July. Previously, commercial and charter airlines relied on cumbersome 40-pound paper manuals.
That prompted major airlines, like American Airlines, to use the iPad as digital flight manual readers, replacing traditional paper charts. The move is expected to save the airline $1.2 million per year in fuel costs alone.
28 Comments
Is this where I make a joke along the lines of, "Ah, good old government number-crunching!"
That's a non-partisan joke, isn't it? Neither side will be offended because everyone does that, right?
where it revealed it plans to buy a "minimum of 63 and a maximum of 18,000 iPad 2" units or "equal devices."
Equal devices? There are none.
If it had said inferior devices, we'd know that they were maybe considering Android tablets, but luckily, that is not the case.
Clearly no one told the brass that 'it's just a big iPhone'
I am glad I invested in this company soon after the iPAD was released even though it was at a very "high price" of 300. You have no idea how many people told me it was too high, they cant go up, the iPAD is no good, blah blah blah.....
One of the best decisions I have ever made....
Equal devices? There are none.
If it had said inferior devices, we'd know that they were maybe considering Android tablets, but luckily, that is not the case.
They still have to put it out to bid just to be fair per gov procurement policy. Maybe when a new iPad comes out, the iPad 2 will be reduced to $299 for a 2nd tier model and save some tax payer $$$$.
Tom