We knew the United States Air Force had plans to purchase iPads to replace its traditional flight bags with a lighter, more efficient digital version, but we get a look today at exactly how it is implementing the technology in the video above featuring Electronic Flight Bag Program Manager Maj Pete Birchenough. In the video, we get a behind-the-scenes look at some of the reasons that lead to the decision, including: savings of $3.20 for every $1 spent, $34 million in paper savings over 10 years, a 90 percent reduction in man-hours for maintaining charts and maps, and 22,000 man hours productivity increase.

We also get a look at some of the software being deployed on the iPads and the team behind keeping those apps running and secure. The Electronic Fight Bag Requirements Manager Rich Quidgoen explained the difficulties of convincing security officials to allow the Air Force to work with Apple products (around 4:35). Birchenough noted (5:15) that going with a “non-windows device garnered an unbelievable amount of resistance from virtually every agency,” where as going with a Windows device would have been a lot easier if it was an “adequate solution.”

[tweet https://twitter.com/Omegis/statuses/251370390025277440]

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Check out 9to5Mac on YouTube for more Apple news: