BlackBerry shares leapt more than nine percent Tuesday as the troubled Canadian smartphone market got a boost from news of contract to supply the US military with 80,000 new handsets. The latest gains came after last week's announcement from the Pentagon that it will include some 80,000 BlackBerry phones as part of a new "mobility" program for the Defense Department, which also includes devices made by Apple, Samsung and Motorola. BlackBerry shares started a rebound last month after it announced plans to outsource its handset production to Taiwan-based Foxconn, which according to analysts could help the Canadian firm concentrate on software and services and avoid many of the risks of the volatile smartphone segment. Last year, the company said it was considering a sale or other strategic move, but later scrapped those plans and told customers it was staying in the smartphone business.



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