US Air Force encourages learning blockchain
Is the US Army adopting the blockchain? We are not sure. But there are signs it is learning about its potential.
The US Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) developed “Blockchain for Supply Chain” tool and tutorials. The interactive application will help military supply chain professionals learn about the blockchain.
The news was reported back in December 2018. To develop its tool, AFIT teamed up with SecureMarking and the University of South Dakota Beacom School of Business. You may find a demo version of the application here. The application comes with a set of YouTube tutorials.
US Air Force recognized the blockchain’s potential
The hope is the blockchain will provide better visibility into the military’s tangled logistics. It’s a bit belated move into the blockchain space if you ask us. The truth is the army doesn’t like to rush into adopting novel technologies. So what made them move into the blockchain?
The answer is simple: transparency and trust.
It’s no secret that the US Army outsources to a large extent. This translates to an extremely complex logistics network.
The blockchain can help enforce all the policies at each turn of the supply chain. It can also securely record every step in a distributed ledger and thus rule out any falsification. This distributed record keeping provides a higher level of confidence in the records.
Another advantage is that the blockchain can track the entire lifecycle of a product. It can also ensure its eventual decommissioning and due disposal. This is an important point for the military. Unscrupulous suppliers try to re-introduce refurbished products and sell them as new. This used equipment means breakdowns and all kinds of losses for the military.
The bottom line?
We don’t know if the US Air Force will put the blockchain to real use. Such developments, though, are certainly a step in that direction.
And here’s the kicker. Undoubtedly, the military is watching this space closely. AFIT is not the only US military agency to recognize the blockchain’s potential. Recently, the US DARPA and the US CENTCOM organized workshops to learn about the blockchain.
This article by Barbora Juhaszova was originally published at BlockchainFlashNews.com: