US Army Preparing New Biometric Identification Technologies for Use in the Field

The US Army’s Electronic Warfare & Sensors division is racing toward a new biometric data collection system for use by soldiers in the field, reports the Army News Service.

While the system currently in use, the ‘Biometric Automated Toolset’, has proven effective in collecting fingerprint and iris data, the new system — called ‘Next Generation Biometric Collection’ — is being designed to add sophisticated face scanning to the mix. It will also operate through a more compact and lightweight form factor, and will be more rugged.

Speaking to the Army News Service, Electronic Warfare & Sensors Program Executive Office Intelligence chief engineer William Graves said the agency’s lab is also working to develop DNA and voice biometrics technologies, and that it’s exploring how to get these biometric identification systems operational on an automated, contactless basis that does not require a human operator. As for matching biometric data, Graves asserted that the Army is working to establish deployable Automated Biometric Identification Systems so that data doesn’t need to be queried against the central ABIS in West Virginia.

The efforts appear to reflect the US military’s intensifying interest in biometric technologies more broadly, with other programs underway including the DoD’s Defense Information Systems Agency’s efforts to develop a replacement of its Common Access Card that will include biometric authentication factors. But it also reflects growing interest from other military organizations around the world, with Graves asserting that “[f]oreign military sales are exploding in NATO and elsewhere.”

Source: Army News Service

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March 7, 2018 – by Alex Perala