12/22/2011
Summary: As does the Air Force, Marines, and Navy–but only with Android 2.2 and only on a handful of Dell devices.

Here comes the Android army!

The U.S. military stands to be stuck in its way when it comes to technologies. For ages the only smartphone you could use in Department of Defense (DOD) operations was a Blackberry. Now, as first reported by Stars and Stripes, you can use your Android phone and tablet on DOD business and with DOD networks.

Don’t get in too much in a hurry to try to connect your new Amazon Kindle Fire or Samsung Galaxy Nexus to your military Wi-Fi network when you get back to base. The DOD’s new Security Technical Implementation Guide (STIG) only approves Android 2.2 and that only on Dell devices. In other words, you can use it if you have a Dell Venue smartphone or, the now discontinued, Dell Streak tablet line. Sigh!

Even if you do have one, you won’t be able to use it for classified information or add new applications to it from the Google Android Market. In addition, you’ll need to use a DOD proxy server if you want to go wandering the Web with your Dell device.

Still, it’s a start. Now that Android has its nose in the door military personnel may soon be able to use other Android devices on duty sometime soon.

IPhones, iPads, and other iOS powered devices? They’re still only approved for testing and pilot projects. Sorry Apple fans! Maybe next year.

Source: http://www.zdnet.com/blog/open-source/the-army-goes-android/10061?tag=content;search-results-river