US Department of Defense said to be ordering 650,000 iOS devices

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The United States Department of Defense has a pending purchase order for more than half a million iOS devices, according to a new report. ‘Well-placed sources’ say the government plans to purchase in upwards of 650,000 iPhones, iPads and iPod touches as part of an ongoing effort to update and mobilize its technologies…

Electronista has the scoop:

Electronista has discovered that the mobile device testing program currently underway at the Department of Defense has produced a pending purchase order for Apple hardware. Following completion of the first phases of the project, as well as a few other initiatives coming to fruition, the Department of Defense will be ordering just over 650,000 iOS devices from the Cupertino manufacturer following conclusion of the sequester.”

The site says that the gigantic order is broken down as follow: 120,000 iPads, 100,000 iPad minis, 200,000 iPod touches, and the remaining 210,000 are to be filled by various iPhones. Specific models were not given, and the destination of the devices vary, with some headed to the battlefield, and others headed to the Pentagon.

All of this new Apple hardware is expected to replace many of the existing BlackBerry units used by the Department, which are estimated to number close to the 500,000 range. Earlier this year, the DoD announced that it was ending its exclusive relationship with BlackBerry, and opening up its network to Android and iOS devices.

But the news gets worse for the Canadian handset-maker. Electronista says that it’s also hearing that testing for BlackBerry’s latest operating system, BlackBerry 10, has been “gravely impacted by the sequester.” And instead of being delayed, like the aforementioned iOS device purchase, it’s been completely canceled.