RFID Potential for Army Field Operations

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology is being widely applied within logistical supply chains to keep track of items and their containers from the point of manufacture all the way to the point of item use. The systems that provide this tracking capability consist of inexpensive electronic tags which are affixed to the items and containers, readers which extract data from these tags as they pass along the supply chain, data collection points where the data that has been read is aggregated, a communications system that connects the readers to the collection points and the collection points to each other, and a data base with accompanying software that can provide useful interpretations of the data that is being collected by the system. There are several applications of this technology with potential for enhancing military operations. For example, consider the preparation of a small unit of action about to embark on a mission that requires a collection of specialized equipment to be distributed among the unit individuals. Each item in the collection could be tagged before each individual is equipped. At the mission "jumping-off" point, each individual could be scanned by a reader to verify that they have the required equipment for the mission. In addition, the leader of the mission could periodically scan his individual soldiers to determine their equipment complement at any time during the mission.