AP
Sunday, February 4, 2007
A defense contractor is finding new uses for old technology
_ ID tags that emit radio signals to help identify military allies
and firefighters in burning buildings.
Radio Frequency Identification technology has been around since
the 1940s, but it is catching on as companies such as Spectra
Research find new uses for it.
Spectra is currently developing a tag it hopes will eliminate
friendly fire deaths on the battlefield and find firefighters
in peril inside burning structures, said Jerry Capozzi, Spectra's
president.
The company is developing the technology for the U.S. Army and
Air Force, he said.
"We are always looking for new technology to provide the
best force protection for the American soldiers," Army spokesman
Lt. Col. William Wiggins said.
The tags, once developed, will be patches about the size of a
checkerboard square and will easily fit in helmets, uniforms,
equipment and armored vehicles.
Fighter pilots and troops on the ground will scan an area with
radar to see if friendly forces are there.
Hand-held radar devices can detect the signals from more than
500 yards on the ground and more than 60 miles from the air, Capozzi
said. The systems will be ready for the military in about two
years, he said.
The company has yet to determine the cost of each tag.
Fire departments could us the tags to locate firefighters in
burning buildings with electronic systems that hinder radio communications.
Company officials approached fire departments about the product,
but they declined because of concerns about costs, Capozzi said.
Other uses could be helping department stores track and inventory
their products. Spectral also wants to develop a tag to track
animals, especially endangered species. Those also would have
a military application because troops could use them during training
exercises in areas where endangered animals may be, Capozzi said.
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