IoT Enabled Blue Force Tracker: The Warrior System for Enhanced Situational Awareness and Improved Tactical Decision Making

Blue Force Tracking (BFT) systems play a pivotal role in modern defense operations by providing real time information about friendly troop locations and statuses. However, the proliferation of the Internet of Things (IoT) presents novel opportunities to enhance both the reliability and granularity of these systems. In this paper, we propose WARRIOR (Wireless Autonomous Resilient Reconnaissance and Intelligence Operational Relay), an IoT enabled BFT solution designed to improve soldier safety and situational awareness on the battlefield. WARRIOR integrates low-power sensor nodes, wearable devices, edge processing capabilities, and secure cloud infrastructure to achieve intelligent data fusion and rapid decision making. By leveraging dynamic routing, context aware protocols, and a multi-tier security framework, WARRIOR addresses critical constraints such as limited bandwidth, intermittent connectivity, and adversarial threats. Experimental results from a prototype implementation and simulations demonstrate that WARRIOR achieves near-realtime updates, improved position accuracy (within 2-3 meters), and robust resilience against node failures. Our findings suggest that the integration of IoT paradigms into BFT systems can fundamentally transform operational strategy, reduce casualties, and enhance interoperability for joint missions.