U.S. Air Force To Buy Up To 18,000 iPads
The U.S. Air Force has been awarded a $9.36 million to buy up to 18,000 iPads. They will be used for navigation and as digital flight manuals.
It’s one of the military’s largest orders of tablets.
The Air Force joins civilian airlines in the use of iPads to replace hefty manuals and charts. Both American Airlines and Alaska started using iPads as “electronic flight bags.”
The Air Force will be buying up to 18,000 32GB iPad 2s, depending on funding.
“That doesn’t necessarily mean we’ll purchase all 18,000,” said Captain Kathleen Ferrero, a military spokeswoman. “It’s contingent upon funding requests and approval.”
The Air Force is already evaluating 63 iPad 2s.
Apple beat out 24 proposals from other companies. The military wasn’t particularly looking at the iPad, and based its decision partly on the lowest price, Ferrero said.
Bloomberg: Air Force Gives $9 Million Award for as Many as 18,000 IPads
Leander Kahney is the editor and publisher of Cult of Mac, and author of three books about technology culture: 
