The hidden treasure of India – the defense industry works day and night to serve the nation keeping their lives at stake. Armed with the latest weapons, current Military activities are directed towards a multidimensional, perplexing, profoundly unique and problematic circumstance. In the present scenario, the defense system requires high connectivity to collect real-time information on the situation and evaluate the circumstance in a short period.

Resolving the challenges faced by the defense industry, the Internet of Things is increasingly becoming popular. Transforming the military department, IoT is delivering an efficient solution with connected technology.

Let’s have a look at how IoT is reshaping the defense landscape

Battlefield Situational Awareness

Surveying the War Zone ahead of time would help the officers to deliver apt decisions at the correct time.  IoT when combined with drone circumstances will help the officers to investigate and evaluate the situation before the commands are executed. The IoT based war zone represents an extremely dense RF environment with a wide range of systems relying on RF links for real-time situational awareness.

Smartwatch and smart glasses ensure enhanced communication between the soldiers and the base station while the UHF man-pack antenna operating at 300 MHz delivers improved communication links between military vehicles. The IoT driven sensors attached to the aerial drones sense the data and deliver real-time insights to the command center. The data is then analyzed and commands are executed based on the situation.

Monitor Warfighter’s Wellbeing

The military officers are offered exuberant medical facilities but, monitoring their health status while battling on the field becomes a tedious task. IoT ensures efficient monitoring of war fighter’s wellbeing in the war zone advising them of the security measures to be taken. Each soldier is equipped with a personal sensor system for health monitoring which consists of 3 modules: tactical underwear, tactical vest, and rugged Android device. All the sensors have an individual RFID tag to monitor the soldier’s health and equipment.

The sensors are connected to an Arduino compatible board where the data collected by the sensors is monitored. Connecting to the application on the smartphone, soldier’s health state is notified and classified into four categories as “HEALTHY”, “EXHAUSTED”, “NEEDS TREATMENT” and “CRITICAL CONDITION”. When the soldier is on the mission, the soldier’s health state is notified to the team leader. It helps the medical officer to detect the seriousness of the damage done to the fighter and take the desired decision.

Hardware Maintenance

Maintenance of military vehicles is vital and is done at regular intervals in the war zone. IoT reduces the risk of sudden breakage of the military vehicle on the battlefield. Truly, with IoT efficient maintenance of vehicles is conceivable. The IoT sensors installed in the systems are retrofitted in the armada of the vehicles to continually monitor and screen motor execution. The vehicle updates are notified to the maintenance staff thus enhancing the security.

Real-Time Fleet Management

The military makes ideal speculation regarding the administration and use of armadas. Earlier monitoring the armadas and observing the status of the motor progressively was a tedious task. Internet of Things ensures constant GPS tracking, speed screening, and motor monitoring which involves hours consumed, fuel productivity, and much more. IoT enabled real-time fleet management ensures reduction of fuel cost by 25%.

IoT Enabled Remote Training

Earlier it was quite difficult for a coach to deliver the on-field experience of war to the officers. IoT enables the military officers to get the trainees ready for the actual battle. IoT enabled sensors and cameras can be used to screen a similar battlefield for the warriors and help the coach to deliver the experience of war. While the warriors are practicing, the video is recorded and insights are delivered to the troops.

The Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System (MILES) offers a simulated training environment where blank cartridges and lasers are mounted on the weapons provided to the soldiers. Weapons transmit coded signals when the soldier fires a black cartridge through lasers. If the laser signal touches the soldier’s clothing and equipment, then the signal is transmitted at “HIT” and beeping alarm is heard signaling the soldier has been “KILLED”.

Wrap Up

The defense industry is the heart of our nation securing the borders against the enemies. IoT enabled defense system ensures real-time information of the war zone. It enhances the battling experience by delivering valuable insights into the warrior’s health and on-field experience of war.