US military invests in 'active' RFID

What is active RFID?
Active RFID tags have a battery, so they're capable of emitting signals, which increases the read range of the tag and also increases the amount of data the tag can hold. We at the Defense Department are using it for managing shipments in transit.

So, active RFID tags help the military keep track of large batches of supplies that arrive on cargo ships?
Right. And passive RFID is a step beyond that and will help us manage our inventory systems down at the actual soldier level. As a soldier, when I receive supplies, the passive RFID system will automatically update the inventory systems of record at that site so that soldiers, instead of having to worry about bar code scanning while they're under fire, can actually be doing the things that are important to them while still having an automatic update of their supply systems.

You kicked off your passive RFID program last year, asking thousands of suppliers to start attaching these special tags to their merchandise. How's that initiative going?
No one out there really has a full passive implementation at all today. Passive is truly an emerging technology that groups like us, Wal-Mart Stores, Target and a number of other companies are jumping on. Passive RFID involves a small device -- which costs less than a $1 in today's marketplace -- that essentially carries a small amount of data; a digital licence plate, if you will.

What was the outcome of using all this RFID technology in Iraq last year?
We did use active RFID, and it worked up to a point in Kuwait in 1991. With the rapidly moving force in Iraq, however -- with training and infrastructure issues -- that process kind of broke down.

So, what did you learn in the Operation Iraqi Freedom conflict about how these systems work?
Well, we don't use any passive RFID in Iraqi Freedom. We only used the active RFID, and again, our lesson there is, frankly, that we need more of it. We need to embed it into our systems and embed it into our doctrine instead of having it as a stand-alone system that we learned how to use every time we go to war. But I keep bringing you back to the passive RFID, because that's where all the buzz is. We are essentially working with Wal-Mart on the same solutions that they are working on, on the passive RFID side, which will get you down to a more refined level of inventory management and inventory control.

Could the proper use of RFID help save lives?
Well, absolutely. And, again, our No. 1 goal is to better support the force. So, if I am able to determine what I have and where it is, I am better able to resupply that force and ensure that they have what they need when they need it in order to be effective on the battlefield.