Draft:Handheld Interagency Identity Detection Equipment

The Handheld Interagency Identity Detection Equipment (HIIDE) stands as a biometric tool within the United States Department of Defense (DoD). Deployed in the early 2000s, HIIDE is designed for capture and storage of iris scans, fingerprints and biographical information to enhance identity verification processes in military operations. The biometric devices are used to identify individuals, e. g., at checkpoints when screening for wanted persons, or to control access by local collaborators.

The Taliban have captured U.S. biometric devices and used them in a 2016 attack in Kunduz, Afghanistan. In 2021, during the U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Taliban seized more biometric devices.