The Internet of Things is an important product and symbol of the information age. Its emergence not only promotes the rapid development of the Industrial Internet of Things, but also has a huge impact on military construction and combat methods, and is closely related to information warfare. So, what are the applications of the Internet of Things in the military field?
Speaking of the application of the Internet of Things in the military field, many people first think of its role in logistics fields such as combat readiness material management. In fact, the application of the Internet of Things in the military field has been developed so far and is not limited to logistical support. Battlefield control, wartime information perception, equipment management, weapons monitoring, soldier management, etc., can all use IoT technology normally.
1.Battlefield control
When the Internet of Things was first born, it was called a sensor network. The application of IoT sensor systems in the military can be traced back to the Vietnam War in the 1960s. At that time, the US military used unattended “tropical tree” oscillating sensors to monitor people and vehicles traveling on the “Ho Chi Minh Trail”. When a target approaches, the sensor can detect the vibration and sound source information generated by the target, and then transmit the data to the command center, which then instructs air fighters to bomb the target.
IoT technology allows ordinary, low-cost devices to effectively obtain battlefield information and transmit it in real time through the network.
For example, the “smart dust” developed by the US military is only the size of a gravel, but it has all the functions from information collection, processing to transmission.
The application of the Internet of Things allows every entity in the battlefield to become a “mobile sensing platform”. You will find that weapons and equipment can “speak”. They will report information such as their own faults and surrounding situations, just like various combat entities can “See”, can “communicate”, can “consider”, and listen to “commands”.
In this way, the commander can sense every corner of the battlefield and have a panoramic view of the entire battlefield situation, thereby effectively shortening command time, improving decision-making efficiency, and comprehensively controlling the battlefield.
2. Joint logistics guarantee
The Internet of Things seems to be a perfect technology “tailor-made” for military logistics, which can promote precision, visualization, and intelligence in joint logistics support.
Precision
During various military operations, the use of IoT technology can provide appropriate equipment and supplies to combat troops at the correct location and at the correct time, preventing surplus materials from flooding into combat areas and causing unnecessary confusion, trouble and waste. .
Moreover, through the information sensor network embedded in various equipment and weapon platforms, battlefield logistics needs can be obtained in real time, the support plan can be modified according to the battlefield situation, and precise control of the entire support system can be achieved.
The “sensing and response logistics” system currently being built by the US military uses the Internet of Things as the main body to integrate situational awareness, command and control of the entire battlefield space and each user terminal to form a transparent, shared, sophisticated and integrated battlefield. Lianqin guarantees the network.
Visualization
The application of IoT technology can help commanders and fighters comprehensively and accurately understand the joint logistics support situation on the battlefield. Through real-time perception and intelligent control of battlefield joint logistics support, the “fog of war” in this field can be seen clearly.
After the Gulf War, the extensive joint logistics support resulted in the U.S. military retaining more than 400,000 tons of surplus supplies on the battlefield. Afterwards, the US military had to open and count the 25,000 containers among them, which directly caused economic losses of billions of dollars.
During the Iraq War, every container shipped by the US military to the war zone was equipped with radio frequency chips, which not only accelerated the transportation of logistics equipment and supplies “from the workshop to the trench”, but also completed the transition from “storage logistics” to “express logistics”. Change.
By relying on the Internet of Things technology, the US military achieved full tracking and flexible distribution of equipment and materials during the battle, improving the level of battlefield joint logistics support.
Intelligent
The application of IoT technology in the field of joint logistics support can also liberate a large number of human resources from complex transactional tasks. According to statistics, applying IoT technology to the intelligent management of equipment storage warehouses, which originally required a dozen people to “work” for a whole day, can be easily completed in the future by only 1 or 2 people spending a few hours.
Because the Internet of Things technology realizes the “intelligent dialogue” between people and things, and things and things, it not only ensures accurate and efficient joint logistics, but also promotes the intelligent development of related military equipment. Through a large number of sensors, weapons and equipment can obtain battlefield information such as battlefield situation and enemy threats in real time, and then respond in a timely manner to improve battlefield survivability.
In addition, through the embedded diagnosis sensor chip, operators and repair points can know the integrity of each component of the equipment in real time, effectively monitor the performance of the weapon, and achieve accurate battlefield maintenance. In addition to promoting the intelligent development of military equipment, IoT technology can also make medical security more intelligent.
Injured soldiers on future battlefields can finally rely on communication networks to call for medical assistance. The system can directly retrieve the vital sign data of the wounded, and complete the identity and location identification of the wounded, and then launch effective emergency rescue activities.
Moreover, when the casualty’s vital sign monitoring system issues an alarm, it indicates that the casualty is abnormal and requires emergency rescue. Only in this way can medical resources be mobilized more accurately and medical security improved.
3. Daily troop management and application
In daily army management, the Internet of Things can also come in handy. For example, a camp security system can be established through IoT technology. The camp security system mainly uses sensors, drones, satellites, etc. to collect information about the camp and its surroundings. Sensors include identity vehicle recognition sensors, image recognition sensors, vibration sensors, etc.
If an attack occurs gradually, the attack can be recorded in detail through sensing sensors, satellites, and drones, and an alarm will be issued. In this way, effective countermeasures can be adopted within the camp, thereby comprehensively improving the safety of the camp. In addition, through identity vehicles and image recognition sensors, the dynamic management of vehicles and personnel in the camp can be strengthened to fully ensure the safety of the camp.
Some experts once said: “It can be foreseen that future wars will be affected by various influences caused by the emergence and development of the Internet of Things. The physical world and the information world will converge through the Internet of Things.” Under the influence of the Internet of Things, the battlefield will be seamlessly connected In the information-based space, the battlefield environment is more transparent, battle assurance is more accurate, and material management and control is safer. Every item on the battlefield can be seen, communicated with, and commanded.
Keywords: full network module