The US Department of Defense has selected Swiss company Kudelski to run an asset tracking pilot for aerospace ground equipment (AGE).

The DoD’s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) wants to bridge the gap between the US military and companies operating at the edge of technology by identifying and prototyping innovations from non-traditional sources to address the nation’s toughest national security challenges.

AGE assets are critical to the support and maintenance of equipment that includes hydraulic test stands, diesel generators, gas turbine generators, air conditioning units, heaters, jacks, maintenance stands, nitrogen carts, lights and more. The current manual process of tracking AGE assets is often inefficient and time-consuming, prompting the DIU to seek innovations to enhance asset tracking capabilities.

Kudelski IoT’s RecovR, a battery-powered asset tracker, has been adopted by car dealerships across North America since its launch in 2021. This has since expanded into more segments, including vehicle fleet management, construction equipment, recreational vehicles and trailers.

Leveraging its expertise in IoT security, Kudelski IoT has deployed this for the DIU at a USAF base, providing real-time location data and a user-friendly graphical interface to improve the efficiency of AGE asset tracking and day-to-day operations.

Jon Rogers, cyber project manager at the DIU, emphasised the importance of leveraging technologies such as Bluetooth, GPS, cellular and wifi for asset tracking.

“Commercial companies are actively utilising advanced technologies for asset tracking, which the Department of Defense should leverage by adopting and integrating these existing, proven solutions to enhance their own asset tracking capabilities,” said Rogers. “We look forward to working with Kudelski IoT to explore the full potential of these technologies to meet our objectives.”

Kudelski IoT’s collaboration with the DIU demonstrates the company’s commitment to providing innovations, as well as its ability to adapt its technologies to meet the requirements of diverse industries. Kudelski IoT was one of three chosen from a field of 38 submissions.

“We are honoured to be selected by the Defense Innovation Unit for this important project, as Kudelski IoT’s strong track record in developing secure and innovative asset tracking made it an ideal candidate,” said Patrick Hauert, senior vice president of Kudelski IoT. “We are committed to leveraging our expertise in IoT security and asset tracking to address the unique challenges faced by the US military, ultimately enhancing their operational efficiency and contributing to national security.”

The DIU strengthens national security by accelerating the adoption of commercial technology throughout the military and bolstering allied and national security innovation bases. DIU partners with organisations across the DoD to prototype and field dual-use capabilities that solve operational problems at speed and scale. With offices in Silicon Valley, Boston, Austin, Chicago and inside the Pentagon, DIU is the DoD’s gateway to technology companies across the country.

Kudelski IoT is the internet of things division of Kudelski and provides end-to-end IoT, product design and full-lifecycle services to IoT device manufacturers, ecosystem creators and end users. Kudelski is headquartered in Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, Switzerland, and Phoenix, Arizona, with offices in 32 countries around the world.