Military App Economy

The military and intelligence community seem to be embracing apps and the App Economy at a rapid pace. Here’s a sampling of new and recent reports, suggesting that the expenditure of relatively large sums  on the development of secure/military grade apps and smart phones.   This activity suggests that  the apps we see in the Apple App Store and Google Play may only represent a portion of the overall App Economy,  in terms of app-building and usage. The Army or the CIA  are not about to put their latest apps on public view, no matter how good they are.

“It Only Took the Army 16 Years and 2 Wars to Deploy This Network”  Wired DangerRoom blog, June 28

When the 3rd and 4th Brigade Combat Teams of the 10th Mountain Division reach Afghanistan in October, between 1,200 and 1,400 soldiers will take with them a rejiggered Motorola Atrix running Android that’s the heart of a communications program called Nett Warrior. 

Nett Warrior returns from the dead, DoD Buzz,  May 22, 2012

WHITE STANDS MISSILE RANGE, N.M. — Most people had left the Army’s Nett Warrior program and its futuristic eye scope in the expensive trash heap of Future Combat Systems. But it lives on here, where soldiers test the glorified smartphones that Army leaders want squad leaders carrying on the battlefield.

“In Camouflage, Android Could Power Military Apps”  GigaOm/Bloomberg BusinessWeek April 17, 2012

Android is still the smartphone platform of choice for the world’s consumers, and it may also be the ideal operating system for the world’s armies, navies, and security agencies. The versatile, open, and free operating system already has most of the necessary pieces in place to power the most sophisticated defense and government applications. 
Boeing to Jump into the Mobile Phone Business, NDIA, April 10, 2012

The Boeing Co. is developing a mobile phone based on the Android operating system that will compete with other manufacturers offering highly secure communication devices, company officials said April 10.

“U.S. Army deploys their own Android app store”,  Android Central, March 25, 2012

The U.S. Army recently launched a “prototype” (i.e. beta) version of their own civilian-facing mobile appstore for Android and iOS.

Air Force Certifies the Weakness of Domestic Manufacturing

I was just revising a portion of my textbook, Economics:The Basics and I happened to come across this March21, 2011 entry in the Federal Register where the Air Force is granting a waiver from the  Buy American requirements of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. This is what the waiver said:

The domestic nonavailability determination for these products is based on extensive market research and thorough investigation of the domestic manufacturing landscape. This research identified that these products are manufactured almost exclusively in China.

Which products are they talking about?

… the following construction items to be incorporated into the project FTQW094001 for the construction and replacement of military family housing units at Eielson AFB, Alaska under task order FA8903-06-D-8505-0019. The items are 1″ Collated Screws, Shank #10; 1-1/2″ (Taco) Air Scoops for Hydronic Heating Systems; 1-5/8″ Ceramic Coated Bugle Head Course Thread Screws; 2″ (Taco) Air Scoops for Hydronic Heating Systems; 2-1/2″ (Taco) Air Scoops for Hydronic Heating Systems; 2-1/2″ Collated Screws; 3″ Ceramic Coated Bugle Head Course Thread Screws; 3″ Spool Insulators;3/4″ Collated Screws, Shank #10; 3″;Bolt Guy Clamp; Ceiling Fan; Ceiling Fan w/Light Kit; Door Hinge Pin Stops; Exterior Wall Mount Two Head Flood Light w/270 Degree Motion Sensor & Brushed Nickel Finish; Ground Fault Circuit Interrupt (GFCI) Receptacles; Handrail Brackets; Maclean Power Systems Guy Attachment; Residential Style Satin Chrome Handrail Bracket; Satin Nickel Outdoor Sconce Light Fixture; Tamper-Resistant Ground Fault Circuit Interrupt (GFCI) Receptacles; Weather-Resistant Ground Fault Circuit Interrupt (GFCI) Receptacles; Pendant Bar Light Fixture; 24″ Bath Vanity Light Fixture; Pendant Chandelier Light Fixture; Linear Fluorescent Ceiling Lighting Fixture (48″ Lensed Fluorescent w/Dimming Ballast & Satin Aluminum Finish); 48″ Bath Vanity Light Fixture; 20″ Utility Shelf Bracket; Chrome Finish Residential Dishwasher Air Gap Cap Fitting; Satin Chrome Finish Convex Wall Mount Door Stops; Residential Microwave w/Range Hood; Residential Style Polished Chrome Towel Ring; Residential Style Polished Chrome Toilet Paper Holder; Residential Style Polished Chrome Double Robe Hook; Residential Style Bright Stainless Steel 60″ Curved Shower Rod & Flanges; Residential Style Polished Chrome 24″ Towel Bar; Residential Style Polished Chrome 30″ Towel Bar; Satin Nickel Finish Wall Mounted Spring Door Stop.

Hmmm…it’s pretty amazing, don’t you think, that the Air Force is certifying that none of these items are available from American manufacturers. It’s even more extraordinary given that the BEA reports that  the U.S. fabricated metal and electrical equipment industries were producing at very high levels as recently as 2007. Similarly, the BLS is reporting record levels of output in the ‘turned product, screw, nut and bolt’  industry as of 2007.

I see four possibilities.

First, the Air Force could be lazy. The parts are really available, but they can’t find them.

Second,   U.S. manufacturers only make sophisticated parts, not towel bars and door stops.

Third,  these industries were doing great through 2007,   and have only gone offshore since the recession.

Fourth,  the official data didn’t pick up the offshoring in the 2000s.

Take your pick.

Is the Defense Industrial Base Disappearing?

Richard McCormack of manufacturingnews.com writes:

The shift of U.S. manufacturing to foreign nations has become an important issue to the U.S. intelligence community. The Director for National Intelligence is undertaking a National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) on the state of American manufacturing. Growing concern over loss of domestic capability and dependence on foreign nations for key high-tech materials, components and systems has led the DNI office to start such an effort.

I’m glad to hear that, but I certainly hope that the DNI realizes that the manufacturing statistics are pretty much out to lunch.