USAF withdraws its request to buy several thousand iPads for the pilots and administration
Due allegedly to security reasons like the inclusion of the Russian-developed GoodReader software as part of the purchase, the Air Force Special Operations Command has apparently canceled its immediate plans to acquire several thousand iPads.
The RFP has been withdrawn from the Federal Business Opportunities website now, after Nextgov rang the alarm on the software with Russian origin that was included in the list of requirements. Not to mention that Apple's supply chain has often been cited as too vulnerable for using its gadgets for military purposes.
That doesn't necessarily mean that the USAF pilots and administration won't be getting tablets, they just might not be the 2, 861 iPad 2s requested, or the initial RFP that wanted might be in for a rework.
The order was initially worded as up to 18, 000 "iPad 2, Brand name or Equal devices" from the Air Force Special Operations Command, so we might see them end up with something else. Alternatively, the clerks at AFSOP might have learned about the upcoming iPad 3 and want to avoid buyer's remorse.
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