Government and Military Logistics

Clearly, logistics is the hard part of fighting a war.

– Lt. Gen. Fredrick Franks, USA, 7th Corps Commander, Desert Storm


U.S. and Allied militaries around the world trust Savi to move high-consequence and often expensive assets through their supply chains. Our array of active RFID (aRFID) tags and Internet of Things (IoT) sensors meet the needs of today’s logistics teams and fighter forces that require visibility, agility, and security.

Our Expertise

For over 30 years, Savi has been the premier provider of military RFID systems and the enabler of critical asset-tracking capabilities for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) on an enormous scale. We have a long-standing history as the pioneer, innovator, and inventor of technologies, products, and protocols that use sensors to improve operational analysis, efficiency, and insight.

We currently hold 115 domestic and foreign patents. Savi has invented a number of mission-critical technologies that have become staples of U.S. and Allied militaries.

Real-Time Situational Awareness

Asset Protection

Finally, a worldwide, real-time view of fixed and in-transit assets. Continuously monitor data from any tag and reader type and compare to plan data and mission requirements.

Enhanced Route Safety

Real-time monitoring and protection that defense forces with high-threat, unpredictable supply routes require.

Superior Efficiency

Clean, actionable data drives improved effectiveness, reduced costs, and ensured readiness.

Government Solutions

Actual Real-Time In-Transit Visibility

“Always on” data streams of the location and condition of in-transit supplies and equipment provide critical situational awareness for emergency response or military operations.

 

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Supply Chain Insights and Analytics

Improve operations and create contingency plans with deep analysis of trends and machine learning of route, threat and ETA data.

 

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Active RFID, IoT, and Location and Environmental Sensor Hardware

Collect RFID data at fixed choke-points or use infrastructure-less wireless (IoT) sensors to collect and transmit real-time data with Savi hardware. Mobile hybrid sensors offer an easy transition from RFID readers to IoT devices.

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Delivering Real-Time Asset Visibility from Manufacturing through End of Life

Adding next-generation Internet of Things (IoT) GPS sensors to the existing network of aRFID tags can provide precise asset tracking within the military supply chain, even where no infrastructure exists. Learn how military logistics can add modern communication networks to the DoD’s existing ITV/TAV systems for end-to-end, in-transit visibility and asset tracking.

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SVP, Operations Rosemary Johnston on Savi’s 30-Year History Supporting DoD

Key Case Studies

Government, Service Providers
SGS: Preventing Cargo Diversion in Kenya

WHAT WAS NEEDED Kenya agencies were looking for a technology solution to reduce cargo diversion within the country’s borders. Trucks carrying oil and gas were of particular concern. Our customer, SGS, had to work with the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) to implement the identified solution that would address these challenges. ACTIONS TAKEN The answer was […]

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WHAT WAS NEEDED

Kenya agencies were looking for a technology solution to reduce cargo diversion within the country’s borders. Trucks carrying oil and gas were of particular concern.

Our customer, SGS, had to work with the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) to implement the identified solution that would address these challenges.

ACTIONS TAKEN

The answer was to use the OMNIS system from SGS, a service first used in Ghana to help solve similar issues of keeping track of cargo, collecting badly needed government revenue, and making sure goods are delivered to the people who need them.

The technology engine behind the OMNIS system is the Savi Mobile Tracking System™, an integrated combination of specialized software and hardware that enables continuous tracking of cargo.

Using this technology, we are assisting Kenya’s existing customs processes so that trucks entering Kenyan territory are equipped with a permanent tracking device which transmits its position through the GSM/GPRS network.

Electronic seals fixed on containers are then coupled with the trucks using RFID. Predefined transit corridors have been configured into the system for geo-fencing purposes. Trucks which drive off course are immediately identified and the customs control room notified.

If the seals are tampered with or broken, an alarm is triggered, so customs can take immediate action. This monitoring is performed on all transit consignments.

Government, Service Providers
Cargo Control in Ghana

WHAT WAS NEEDED Ghana is a major road transit corridor to the landlocked countries to its north, including Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali. Goods traveling in transit through Ghana are not subject to import duties and taxes. However, as cross border trade increased, so did instances of cargo being lost or diverted into the local […]

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WHAT WAS NEEDED

Ghana is a major road transit corridor to the landlocked countries to its north, including Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali.

Goods traveling in transit through Ghana are not subject to import duties and taxes. However, as cross border trade increased, so did instances of cargo being lost or diverted into the local economy en route. This was depriving Ghana of much-needed government revenue and created an imbalance in parts of the economy.

Our customer’s challenge was to find a state-of-the-art, reliable and cost-effective traceability service that prevented cargo from being lost or stolen, protected revenues and replaced an expensive, ineffective model that relied on escort officers.

ACTIONS TAKEN

Our customer, SGS , wanted to build on the existing GCNet Single Window and establish an electronic tracking system. The GCNet company – a joint venture between SGS and local public and private sector partners in Ghana – funded and worked with Savi to provide a turnkey, cutting-edge transit tracking solution to the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).

The end result was an innovative solution driven by the Savi Mobile Tracking System™. This integrated combination of specialized software and hardware uses self-contained electronic tracking devices fixed to trucks to relay position data acquired by GPS and alerts to a fully equipped Transit Control center at Customs Head Office.

Officials can track cargo in real time and communicate with mobile teams on the ground to intervene quickly and effectively if needed. Information can also be uploaded onto the GCNet ePortal or website so that haulers and owners can keep informed of the progress of their cargo.

OUTCOME

The Savi Mobile Tracking System is fully operational – covering both the south-north and east-west corridors through Ghana and monitoring between 2,500 and 3,200 trucks per month.

Ghana and Burkina Faso Customs are cooperating with a goal of implementing the first end-to-end cross-border transit tracking system in the region by expanding the Savi Mobile Tracking System to Burkina Faso and beyond.

Thanks to this solution, our customer SGS was awarded a Certificate of Merit from the World Customs Organization for rendering exceptional service to Ghana Customs.

Government
US Army Depot

One of over fifty such sites in the world, the U.S. Army’s Sierra Army Depot covers fifty-nine square miles, and includes over 1000 buildings that enclose over 5 million square feet of storage space.

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One of over fifty such sites in the world, the U.S. Army’s Sierra Army Depot covers fifty-nine square miles, and includes over 1000 buildings that enclose over 5 million square feet of storage space. With tens of thousands of assets stored onsite at any given moment, hundreds or thousands of military assets including tanks, personnel carriers, weapons, clothing, equipment and related supplies can move in and out of the depot every week.  


What was needed

The U.S. Army’s Sierra Depot covers fifty-nine square miles, and includes over 1000 buildings that enclose over 5 million square feet of storage space. With tens of thousands of assets stored onsite an any given moment, and with hundreds or thousands of assets moving in and out of the facility every week, detailed knowledge of asset status, location and security is critical. Without real-time asset knowledge – of location, of status, and of security — it could take days or weeks to manually search through the depot to find specific equipment.

Outcome

Total asset visibility. With Savi, Sierra Depot achieves near 100% knowledge accuracy for assets stored in and across the hundreds of thousands of containers, pallets, vehicles, and shipping crates within the 59 square mile depot. Thanks to the Savi platform, Sierra Depot has been able to drive down personnel costs, improve response times, and decrease asset spoilage owing to environmental factors. With Savi, Sierra Depot has increased efficiency in virtually every part of its operation.

Securing military assets
Government
US Air Force

The United Stated Air Force (USAF) is the largest and most technologically advanced air force in the world. With over 300,000 personnel on active duty, USAF physical assets include over 10,000 manned and unmanned aircraft, combat air vehicles, cruise missiles and ICBMs, based and deployed throughout the world.

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The United States Air Force (USAF) is the largest and most technologically advanced air force in the world. With over 300,000 personnel on active duty, USAF physical assets include over 10,000 manned and unmanned aircraft, combat air vehicles, cruise missiles and ICBMs, based and deployed throughout the world.


What was needed

The USAF is held accountable for a vast number of assets spread around the world including aircraft vehicles, tools, and related equipment. Determining asset location and condition at any given time is crucial to USAF operations. At one time the USAF utilized manual data capture methods to collect asset information. A better approach was needed as multiple GAO audits showed that manually collected asset data was often inaccurate, untimely or missing. More recently, the USAF, like other military branches, has been asked to do more with less, leading to a reduction in the number of Air Force logisticians. Faced with smaller staffs, larger workloads, a quicker working pace, and a history of audit shortcomings and asset management inaccuracies, the USAF aggressively sought to automate asset tracking and logistics reporting.

Actions taken

Savi responded to the USAF’s requirements by creating a specialized version of its logistics informatics platform. This end-to-end system collected real-time information via bar-coded USAF assets, including asset location, status, and other data, from DoD-compliant active and passive RFID tags. After collecting and consolidating the data, Savi converted it into actionable operational information and presented it to USAF logisticians and decision-makers in the form of online or offline reports. The Savi platform was also easily integrated with existing USAF ERP and other back-office software systems for streamlined accounting and auditing.

Outcome

With real-time information at the fingertips of decision-makers, the USAF realized immediate benefits from its rollout of the Savi platform. During the pilot phase of deployment, USAF man-hours associated with locating accountable assets were reduced by 80%. In addition, over 99% of their assets were immediately located, and over $60K of accountable equipment was located off-site and returned to accountable units. With a fully automated data collection system, error-prone manual methods have been eliminated, further reducing manpower needs while improving the quality and accuracy of USAF asset data.

Government
NATO

The United States Army is the largest national military force in the world. NATO is a intergovernmental military alliance between 28 member nations across North American and Europe.  NATO and Australia have developed meaningful, practical cooperation in a great number of areas, most notably in the fight against terrorism, research and technology, and non-proliferation initiatives.

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The United States Army is the largest national military force in the world. NATO is a intergovernmental military alliance between 28 member nations across North American and Europe.  NATO and Australia have developed meaningful, practical cooperation in a great number of areas, most notably in the fight against terrorism, research and technology, and non-proliferation initiatives.


What was needed

It is no surprise that the most challenging, most fluid, most dynamic supply chains support military forces wherever they are deployed. And as the nature of warfighting and peacekeeping evolves away from single-nation efforts and towards multi-national collaborations, the need to have precise, real-time logistical information in the hands of military planners and logisticians has become more critical. At any moment, there are literally tens of thousands of physical assets in motion across an operational theatre. Not surprisingly, the US Army, NATO and its Allies have aggressively evaluated and deployed technology to create real-time reports on asset location and status to give decision-makers the information they need to successfully complete their assigned missions.

Actions taken

The US Department of Defense turned to Savi, a pioneer in active RFID technology, for a solution that would provide real-time information on asset location and status. Savi delivered a complete software and hardware solution that automated the entire process of asset tracking and reporting. The Savi platform includes active RFID technology to broadcast asset location and status to sensors deployed in depots, warehouses, and forward areas. The Savi-designed software collects the real-time data from the sensors and converts it into actionable reports, including real-time maps, tabular reports and automated email alerts, to quickly put the most accurate data into the hands of the decision-makers who need it. Finally, the Savi platform is completely integrated into the Army’s back-office management and accounting software enable precise fiscal controls and auditing.

Outcome

Savi SmartChain more than meets the demanding requirements of the US Army. The system successfully provides logisticians with “total asset visibility” — real-time knowledge of the location and physical status of assets in operating theatres. The hardened active tags that Savi developed now define the standard asset tag used by the U.S. Department of Defense for all material. The network of Savi sensors has been expanded to create what is today the world’s largest integrated RFID-based tracking network.

The mission-certified success of  Savi SmartChain directly led to NATO’s and the Australian Defense Force’s decisions to deploy the Savi Technology platform to track their national military assets and to facilitate seamless logistics management of assets between national forces in coordinated operations. With “total asset visibility” these allied forces are able to confidently plan and execute complex missions in harsh environments.

Government
Joint Strike Fighter

The F-35 Lightning (also known as the Joint Strike Fighter) is the U.S. Department of Defense’s next generation aircraft for the Navy, Air Force, Marines, and U.S. allies. The F-35 introduces an array of cutting-edge technologies, including advanced airframe, autonomic logistics, avionics, propulsion systems, stealth, and armament.

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The F-35 Lightning (also known as the Joint Strike Fighter) is the U.S. Department of Defense’s next generation aircraft for the Navy, Air Force, Marines, and U.S. allies. The F-35 introduces an array of cutting-edge technologies, including advanced airframe, autonomic logistics, avionics, propulsion systems, stealth, and armament.


What was needed

The F-35 Lightning II Program (also known as the Joint Strike Fighter Program) is the Department of Defense’s generation strike aircraft weapon systems for the Navy, Air Force, Marines, and our allies. The F-35 introduces an array of cutting-edge technologies, including advanced airframe, autonomic logistics, avionics, propulsion systems, stealth, and armament. Not surprisingly, the F-35 is one of the most complex aircraft ever manufactured, extending traditional manufacturing techniques with unique custom-built forms and tools. To add to the complexity, F-35s are assembled at a 680-acre, 153 building site. To keep costs down, the manufacturing teams share these expensive tool sets (often with 100 or more components). The tools are moved from building to building across the site to the teams that needed them for their work. Previously, a manually operated tool inventory system had been used to keep track of these specialized tools. To minimize manufacturing delays, and provide greater operational efficiency, the Prime Contractor, one of the world’s leading aircraft manufacturers, sought to provide manufacturing decision makers with accurate real-time reports on the tool location, condition and status of the unique specialized tools so that they could be more responsive to the needs of the manufacturing teams.

Actions taken

Savi SmartChain was an ideal solution for this urgent need. By collecting tool status data from active and passive tags placed directly on the tools, the Savi software was able to present decision-makers with real-time information describing tool location, condition, and status. Thousands of tools were tagged and incorporated into the new tool logistics system, which collected the logistics data and converted it into real-time reports on tool locations, condition and status. Online information displays, as well as email alerts detailing status or special conditions, gave manufacturing decision-makers unprecedented visibility into the tool-based processes. At the same time, the Savi platform was completely integrated into the legacy enterprise software systems that the Contractor depended upon, so the back-office accounting, compliance, inventory and audit systems had complete access to this valuable data stream.

Outcome

Thanks to Savi SmartChain, manufacturing efficiency increased. Idle tools were put into service more quickly, lost tools were located, and overall scheduling accuracy increased. And because Savi SmartChain automates the data collection process, manual entry errors were completely eliminated. Finally, the end-to-end integration of Savi  with legacy in-house systems reduced the human effort required to prepared externally-facing reports for government mandated accounting, compliance and audits.  Savi SmartChain was a prime contributor to the overall success of the F-35 project, countless man-hours were saved as management gained a greater visibility and understanding of the location, status and usage patterns of the specialized assembly tools.

Government, Service Providers
Bell Helicopter

Bell Helicopter is a leader in vertical takeoff and landing aircraft for commercial and military applications, and the pioneer of the revolutionary tiltrotor aircraft. Today there are about 13,000 Bell Helicopter aircraft flying in more than 140 countries.

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Bell Helicopter is a leader in vertical takeoff and landing aircraft for commercial and military applications, and the pioneer of the revolutionary tiltrotor aircraft. Today there are about 13,000 Bell Helicopter aircraft flying in more than 140 countries.

Owner of Bell Helicopter, Textron is one of the world’s best known multi-industry companies and a pioneer of the diversified business model. With total revenues of $11.3 billion, Textron is ranked 236th on the FORTUNE 500 list of largest U.S. companies. Textron’s network of businesses includes Bell Helicopter, Cessna, Jacobson, Textron Systems and other market-leading companies.


What was needed

Bell Helicopter, a Textron company, needed to implement a solution to meet the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) mandate that all DoD suppliers must mark any products valued at greater than $5,000 with a unique serial number (UID) and relevant bar code. This mandate was established to help the DoD track and monitor physical assets through the DoD supply chain.

In addition to physically labeling each part or product with a unique serial number and bar code, DoD also requires its suppliers maintain a data repository, compliant with UID registry requirements. The supplier must be able to produce UID reports on demand.

Actions taken

At a minimum, the solution had to provide:

  • An enterprise-wide, web-based distributed data collection and production component
  • A scalable data repository
  • An effortless way to produce tags for marking the parts

After determining that implementing in house would be far too costly to create and maintain, Bell Helicopter turned to Savi for assistance. Savi recommended and deployed Savi Technology to generate the unique IDs and barcodes and to store the needed information in an DoD-compliant UID registry.

Bell Helicopter opted for a phased implementation, starting with UID generation and management for 10 major parts from one aircraft. To facilitate permanent part marking, the Savi team integrated our software with Bell’s laser-marking equipment so that metal plates could be automatically marked with the required UID information for each part.

The Savi technology repository met or exceeded all the DFARS and Mil Standards for the collection and storage of data and the production of reports that the DoD requires. Bell Helicopter quickly expanded its implementation to completely fulfill the DoD requirements.

Outcome

At Bell Helicopter, the Savi solution completely achieved its business goals. Parent company Textron, aware of the success of Savi at Bell Helicopter, elected to implement Savi’s technology at two of its other divisions: Textron Marine & Land Systems, and AAI.

Each company maintains its own secure sub-schema fully protected from outside intrusion. The companies populate the technology using secure Internet connections, where it is maintained in the repository until required by the DoD.

Combined, these three large-scale DoD suppliers maintain a repository of over 42,000 UIDs.

aRFID V Contract

Savi provides aRFID infrastructure hardware, software and expertise to the U.S. DoD and Allied governments through the aRFID V contract.

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ST-654 Tag Bids

If you are a DoD supplier working on a contract involving Savi’s ST-654 aRFID tags, please visit our info page.

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