RFID Takes Hold in the U.S. Air Force
Robins Air Force Base, in Georgia, developed an RFID system to track critical aircraft components and tools, thus saving money and improving safety. The asset-tracking system has been deployed at five other bases and could become part of a standard solution in the Air Force.
By John Edwards
Dec. 15, 2008—The maintenance professionals at Georgia's Robins Air Force Base understand that tracking and organizing critical tools and components is not just a good idea, but a potential lifesaver. "A screwdriver might end up someplace and take out a $3 million engine," observes Bernard Lannan, director of the base's 78th Communications Group. In other words, he notes, a careless mistake or oversight on the ground could easily result in a catastrophe at 30,000 feet.
Under the motto, "Shield the Enterprise," the 78th aims to serve as the U.S. Department of Defense's "premier, progressive and proactive cyber support organization." At Robins, the group relies on RFID technology to ensure that aircraft parts and tools are always where they should be, ready for immediate use and not rolling around inside a wing, engine or fuselage.
The 78th first considered RFID in late 2003, when Air Force officials requested a better method of tracking and inventorying gyroscopes—fragile and costly devices that are critical to several aircraft navigations systems and require frequent servicing. "It was identified to us that they would like to be able to lay their hands on these [components] faster," says David Carrick, one of the 78th's Automatic Identification Technologies (AIT) program managers, "so we started looking at technologies that would give us that capability."
Dec. 15, 2008—The maintenance professionals at Georgia's Robins Air Force Base understand that tracking and organizing critical tools and components is not just a good idea, but a potential lifesaver. "A screwdriver might end up someplace and take out a $3 million engine," observes Bernard Lannan, director of the base's 78th Communications Group. In other words, he notes, a careless mistake or oversight on the ground could easily result in a catastrophe at 30,000 feet.
Under the motto, "Shield the Enterprise," the 78th aims to serve as the U.S. Department of Defense's "premier, progressive and proactive cyber support organization." At Robins, the group relies on RFID technology to ensure that aircraft parts and tools are always where they should be, ready for immediate use and not rolling around inside a wing, engine or fuselage.
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The 78th first considered RFID in late 2003, when Air Force officials requested a better method of tracking and inventorying gyroscopes—fragile and costly devices that are critical to several aircraft navigations systems and require frequent servicing. "It was identified to us that they would like to be able to lay their hands on these [components] faster," says David Carrick, one of the 78th's Automatic Identification Technologies (AIT) program managers, "so we started looking at technologies that would give us that capability."
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