Singapore National Service recruits to receive iPads this November

It is compulsory for able-bodied males citizens and permanent residents to serve time in the National Service if you’re living in the city-state known as Singapore, and while the thought of actually entering the battlefield remains but a distant vision due to the nature of the political region’s relative stability (it is no Middle East, that’s for sure), it would still help if you know how to handle a rifle, survive in the forest using your wits and not eating the wrong kind of shrubs, as well as gaining access to high-tech weaponry to infiltrate the enemy’s defenses. Well, you can add one more device to the list of gizmos that National Service recruits will get to play with this November onwards – the iPad 2. 

That might just see even more enthusiasm among those who are embarking on their maiden year, with around 8,000 iPad 2s ready to be issued from November onwards. Defence chief Neo Kian Hong claims that adopting the iPad 2 would enable the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) to harness the technological abilities of the city-state’s youth. With the built-in camera, servicemen are able to snap photos and video clips in the field that can then be uploaded to the SAF’s online platform, LEARNet. These photos and videos could come in handy to carry out post-mission assessments.

No idea if you get to keep the iPad 2 once you’re done with your stint though.

Edwin Kee
Categories: Apple, Military, Tablets
Tags: Apple Inc, iPad, iPad 2, ipad2, singapore