NEW DELHI: Indian Army has from Wednesday implemented the Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tagging of its ammunition inventory in order to not improve the lot management but also make ammunition storage safer.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) in its statement said, “The first consignment of RFID tagged ammunition, comprising three lots of 5.56mm ammunition was dispatched from Ammunition Factory Khadki to Central Ammunition Depot (CAD) Pulgaon.” The event was flagged off by the Director General Ordnance Services.
Enumerating the benefits of new technology MoD said, “The endeavour will make ammunition storage and use by soldiers safer and provide enhanced satisfaction to the field Army. The implementation shall lead to increased efficiency in all technical activities carried out in Ammunition Depots and reduce inventory carrying costs.”
The implementation of the RFID solution for ammunition asset visibility will transform management of ammunition and bring in a quantum jump in ammunition lot management and tracking capability, added MoD.
The RFID implementation has been steered by the Ordnance Services Directorate of the Indian Army, in conjunction with Munitions India Limited (MIL), Pune, the newly created entity formed post corporatisation of the Ordnance Factories Board (OFB).
The RFID tagging is in conformity with global standards in consultation with GS-1 India, a Global Standards organisation set up by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The RFID tags will be interpreted and used for asset tracking by the Enterprise Resource Application run by the Computerised Inventory Control Group (CICG) of the Ordnance Services Directorate