Air Force certifies RFID devices for aircraft use

The Air Force has certified Savi Technology's radio frequency identification (RFID) asset tracking and security devices for use aboard all sizes and classifications of fixed- and rotary-winged aircraft that transport supplies for the Defense Department.

Eight of Savi’s RFID tags — which can be affixed to supplies, unit load devices, containers, pallets and other transport conveyances — were approved under MIL-STD-46IF and MIL-STD-464A, which address electromagnetic interference issues.

Certification was granted after tests proved that the RFID tags did not interfere with onboard aircraft avionics such as radios, navigation or flight instruments.

The Air Force determined that Savi’s 18000-7 standard-compliant, battery-powered tags would be safe aboard aircraft because they transmit only microwatts of power intermittently in short data packets. The tags can be deactivated if necessary, although Air Force evaluations determined that they were safe aboard aircraft even when activated continuously.

Savi’s RFID tags can be used for a range of applications, including asset tracking, security monitoring and, with sensors, monitoring the temperature, humidity and shock of an asset.

DOD and allied international defense forces in Europe and Pacific Asia track more than 35,000 shipments daily tagged with Savi's RFID devices by air, rail, ship and truck across more than 4,000 locations and 50 countries. The company helped build the DOD's In-Transit Visibility network, the world's largest RFID cargo tracking system.