New Portable Deployment Kit uses Iridium Satellite Links
to Track
Military Supplies in Area of Operations
Mobile RFID Solution Being Deployed by U.S. Marine
Corps in
Southwest Asia
Iridium is providing critical satellite links for a
new mobile system that uses radio-frequency identification
(RFID) technology to track the movement of critical
military supplies in forward operating areas.
The Portable Deployment Kit (PDK), developed by Savi
Technology, Inc., and NAL Research Ltd., is a lightweight
mobile RFID solution that addresses the challenge of
extending supply-chain visibility directly into the
Area of Operations, where there is no infrastructure
of fixed RFID readers. The U.S. Marine Corps plans to
deploy 100 initial units in Southwest Asia in coming
months.
The PDK is a mobile checkpoint solution that integrates
several automatic identification and data collection
(AIDC) technologies, including bar codes, 2D bar codes,
active RFID, GPS positioning and Iridium satellite data
modem, all in a single carrying case that can easily
be transported by a single person and powered by a vehicle’s
battery. The system collects and processes data from
active RFID tags on equipment pallets and containers,
then transmits it along with GPS position information
through the Iridium satellite network to the Department
of Defense In-Transit Visibility (ITV) network server.
ITV is the world’s largest active RFID cargo tracking
system, which Savi Technology helped to build. It extends
across more than 1,500 locations.
“This new system fills an important gap in supply-chain
management by permitting logistics planners to track
the location and movement of critical supplies to warfighters
in the Area of Operations where fixed RFID readers are
not usually available,” said Dr. Ngoc Hoang, president
of NAL Research, an Iridium value-added manufacturer.
“The PDK is a fully operational solution right
out of the box that can be easily transported at a moment’s
notice to meet the military’s need to locate supplies
at any time and anywhere,” said David Stephens,
Savi’s senior vice president, public sector. “It’s
also much more than just a mobile checkpoint solution
for supplies equipped with active RFID devices. It’s
also a nested visibility solution that can leverage
a wide range of AIDC technologies that are used to keep
track of supplies.”
“The RFID is a good example of how today’s
military forces are leveraging Iridium’s global,
low-latency data connectivity to solve a wide range
of asset location, monitoring and tracking requirements,”
said Greg Ewert, executive vice president of Iridium
Satellite.
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19
December 2005 
