TrendMilitaries eye biometric technology

Biometrics is useful not only for securing airports and borders but it has many current and potential uses for the world’s armed forces, such as identifying adversaries who hide among the civilian population, controlling access to military facilities, and even in providing medical and other services to personnel. There is evidence to suggest that the biometrics market is changing from merely homeland security to an intricate part of the defence strategy.

In this new report, Biometrics for Defense 2008, from Bharatbook.com, it is noted that defense biometrics has gone past infancy, although the market has still some way to go to reach full maturity. Now at a critical stage of its development as the world’s militaries are expected to make greater use of biometrics, this market offers investors new and exciting opportunities. There are factors working against biometrics, such as questions concerning whether the technology is mature enough for widespread military application and lingering concerns over privacy. The report says that those apparent limitations, however, are offset by the promise of biometrics as a sophisticated and cost-effective means of identifying both friendly forces and adversaries.

The defense biometrics market is still dominated by the United States, which has displayed the greatest urgency to use the technology following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Subsequent military and security engagements in Iraq and Afghanistan have reinforced the need for advanced security systems. Over the next few years, though, when the technology will have proven its usefulness in military applications, increasing numbers of global military forces are expected to start investing in the technology. The use of biometrics for military applications continues to grow throughout the report’s forecast period 2008-18.

See also the publisher’s other report, Biometrics for Homeland security: Analysis & Forecasts