As the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) considers an application that could ban the use of RFID in the lower MHz band, the Department of Defense is actively submitting comments through the Interagency Radio Advisory Committee (IRAC) emphasizing the importance and value of RFID technology.
Despite the challenges of spectrum allocation, the Department of Defense remains committed to expanding the use of passive UHF RFID technology, as the Department of Defense has recently advanced RFID-based technologies significant progress has been made in the systematic application of (Radio frequency identification) technology, particularly with the MCPIC inventory management solution developed by Marine Corps Logistics Command (MARCORLOGCOM).
The introduction of this technology not only greatly improves the inventory accuracy of military assets, but also greatly simplifies the inventory process, bringing revolutionary changes to the operational preparation and audit work of the Department of Defense.
The Marine Corps is increasingly relying on RFID
The MCPIC solution has been a great success in Marine Corps applications. This year, the system helped the Marine Corps pass its first annual audit since 1990. This achievement is due in part to the RFID system's automatic digital data capture capabilities, resulting in a significant increase in the accuracy of inventory information. The traditional inventory counting process, which takes months, is now reduced to about four hours thanks to RFID tags and handheld, stationary RFID readers.
The Marine Corps is increasingly relying on RFID technology to not only improve inventory accuracy, but also ensure warfighters have the equipment and supplies they need at all times. The Department of Defense is faced with a highly complex asset storage and supply environment, and traditional manual tracking methods are difficult to meet real-time, accurate inventory requirements.MCPIC solutions significantly improve the efficiency and accuracy of asset management by automatically updating equipment and container location data in warehouses.
The successful implementation of this solution not only solved the long-term inventory audit problem of the Marine Corps, but also caused extensive attention from other military agencies and federal departments.
To ensure that RFID tags can work reliably in harsh military environments, MARCORLOGCOM worked with HID Global's Omni ID to design ruggedised RFID tags. These labels have special adhesives and reinforcement functions to resist damage and removal by natural factors such as wind, heat, and cold. This design is crucial to the successful operation of the system, effectively avoiding inventory data errors caused by damaged or falling labels.
It is expected to be combined with drones
To further improve the efficiency and accuracy of inventory management, DLA is investigating the use of drones to complete RFID tag reading in spacious, crowded outdoor storage areas. This innovative application will greatly reduce the reliance on manual operation and improve the speed and accuracy of label reading. Through the lightweight RFID reader carried by the drone, the passive RFID tag information on the roof vehicle can be quickly obtained, and the system software can generate detailed inventory reports.
Despite the benefits of RFID technology, the Department of Defense is fully aware of the security and privacy risks it may pose. Through a reasonable data storage and access control mechanism, the information on the RFID tag is effectively protected. At the same time, the limited reading range of RFID readers also reduces the risk of unauthorized access.
The U.S. Department of Defense has achieved remarkable results in advancing the application of RFID technology, not only improving the inventory accuracy and management efficiency of military assets, but also setting an example for other federal agencies and military branches. With the continuous progress of technology and the continuous expansion of application scenarios, RFID technology is expected to play a more important role in the field of national defense.
This paper is from Ulink Media, Shenzhen, China, the organizer of IOTE EXPO (IoT Expo in China)
