Defense contractor Lockheed Martin has asked its suppliers who provide parts and materials for the new Joint Strike Fighter aircraft to include RFID labels on those shipments by the end of this year. The Joint Strike Fighter, also known as the F-35 Lightning, is a next-generation stealth fighter aircraft that is the first to be jointly designed for use by the U.S. Air Force, Army, and Navy.
"Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. has communicated in a letter to its supplier base that all supply chain materials we procure for the first Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP 1) phase of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Program--and materials for all F-35 production phases beyond LRIP 1--will need to be delivered to us with RFID tagging. This requirement becomes effective in late 2008," the company says.
Source: RFID Update, http://www.rfidupdate.com