US soldier Jonathan Springer develops iPhone app to target the Taliban

[MikeL]

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/us-soldier-develops-iphone-app-to-target-the-taliban/story-fn7ljfcr-1225994565838

US soldier Jonathan Springer develops iPhone app to target the Taliban

AN iPhone app that tracks down the Taliban has been developed by a US soldier who put $26,000 of his own money into the project.
The idea for a smartphone application to assist soldiers in combat came to Captain Jonathan J. Springer in a dream last July.

The 31-year-old, from Fort Wayne, Indiana, has worked with programmers ever since to make the idea a reality.

Tactical Nav, which is expected to be available through Apple’s App Store next month, assists soldiers in mapping, plotting and photographing waypoints on a battleground and conveying coordinates to supporting units.

Captain Springer used a variety of armoured vehicles, remote observation posts and harsh combat conditions to test the accuracy of his invention, which can also be used to direct artillery fire on enemy positions or call in helicopter support.

The soldier, who serves as a battalion fire support officer in eastern Afghanistan, said most soldiers use smartphones and the app has been designed specifically for them.

“Since day one, I always believed that smartphones could be utilised by the US military for combat purposes,” he said.

“Basically, the issue was the fact that these smartphones were being untapped by the army and I was motivated and determined to change that, even if it cost me my own money out of pocket to do so."

 

[jollyjacktar]

Hope it works well for him.  And here I thought it might be a loud voice that would call out after a ring tone "It's Mullah Omar, anyone available to take the call?"  Then they could cap the first Timmy who sticks his head up.

 

[PuckChaser]

Great initiative, but you might as well hand anyone with half a brain a map with all your positions plotted on it. Smartphones are NOT secure unless they're military made with a secure sleeve.

 

[JMesh]

Great initiative, but you might as well hand anyone with half a brain a map with all your positions plotted on it. Smartphones are NOT secure unless they're military made with a secure sleeve.

Couldn't agree more. While done with great intentions, this will certainly not work, and actually could place troops in danger. Even moreso because of the bolded portion below:

Tactical Nav, which is expected to be available through Apple’s App Store next month, assists soldiers in mapping, plotting and photographing waypoints on a battleground and conveying coordinates to supporting units.

Total availability and widespread distribution of this software kind of screams OPSEC problem to me.

 

[Sig_Des]

Total availability and widespread distribution of this software kind of screams OPSEC problem to me.

The actual mapping software or app wouldn't be an OPSEC violation. This kind of program exists and is available. A violation would be the availability any database that has stored the information, waypoints, etc., which I doubt would all be part of the app as downloaded.

Great initiative, but you might as well hand anyone with half a brain a map with all your positions plotted on it. Smartphones are NOT secure unless they're military made with a secure sleeve.

Agreed. I would put this in the same pool as using civvy GPS or handheld Motorola cobra-style radios in theater.

 

[PuckChaser]

The only issue with a civvy GPS is that it can't hold the crypto so the grids could be way off. Motorola FRS/GMRS are even worse than this smartphone tech, anyone with a scanner from The Source can intercept that stuff.

 

[Occam]

This would probably do what you're talking about, if you ignore the fact that it doesn't do Apple apps.

 

[PuckChaser]

CF has those, or a model of them. Not very widespread use though.

 

[Occam]

CF has those, or a model of them. Not very widespread use though.

Not rolled out yet.

 

[muffin]

This sounds like the geocaching app... I wonder what stops the taliban from downloading it and sending fire missions and whatnot...