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WHY HAS THE US ARMY BEEN SLOW TO ADOPT MODERN HANDHELD TECHNOLOGY?
WHY HAS THE US ARMY BEEN SLOW TO ADOPT MODERN HANDHELD TECHNOLOGY?
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Despite the significant popularity of handheld devices in the civilian sector, the US Army has taken eight years to adopt handheld devices for field use. Why has the US Army been slow to adopt handheld devices? This monograph considers three possible explanations for the US Army’s delay in adopting handheld devices. First, it is possible the handheld device architecture does not lend itself to practical military application. Secondly, the Department of Defense’s need for secure communications may delay the assimilation of handheld technologies in field operations. Third, it is possible that the Department of Defense acquisitions process cannot evaluate and purchase handheld devices before an upgraded device replaces the technology.
Data obtained from Army Field Manuals, white papers, informational briefs, institutional reports as well as statements made by senior Army and directorate leadership indicated not only an active interest in employing handheld devices but also a wide variety of applications suitable for military operations. Test results from the US Army Brigade Modernization Test Directorate and the Connecting Soldiers to Digital Applications made clear that meeting the security requirements was a significant challenge. However, technological advances and changes in network security methods will soon make possible secure communications using handheld devices. Analysis of the acquisitions process showed that it has been an obstacle to adoption of commercial handheld technology because the process usually cannot be completed before the technology had been updated or replaced.
The Army has a strong interest in handheld technology. The development of military applications has been slow but there are many promising applications. Concern for security did limit adoption of handheld technology for a time but advances in technology now make secure use of handheld devices possible. There are some efforts to define new procurement procedures to permit timely acquisition of handheld devices, but until those efforts bear fruit, the Army will remain slow to use those devices.
Data obtained from Army Field Manuals, white papers, informational briefs, institutional reports as well as statements made by senior Army and directorate leadership indicated not only an active interest in employing handheld devices but also a wide variety of applications suitable for military operations. Test results from the US Army Brigade Modernization Test Directorate and the Connecting Soldiers to Digital Applications made clear that meeting the security requirements was a significant challenge. However, technological advances and changes in network security methods will soon make possible secure communications using handheld devices. Analysis of the acquisitions process showed that it has been an obstacle to adoption of commercial handheld technology because the process usually cannot be completed before the technology had been updated or replaced.
The Army has a strong interest in handheld technology. The development of military applications has been slow but there are many promising applications. Concern for security did limit adoption of handheld technology for a time but advances in technology now make secure use of handheld devices possible. There are some efforts to define new procurement procedures to permit timely acquisition of handheld devices, but until those efforts bear fruit, the Army will remain slow to use those devices.
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