SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill., Sept. 4 (UPI) -- The U.S. Transportation Command has deployed a new container security technology from GE Security Inc. to protect military shipments into Pakistan.

USTRANSCOM contracted GE for its CommerceGuard cargo security technology as part of a U.S. Defense Department initiative to protect military containers from tampering and theft while on the volatile supply routes from Afghanistan to Pakistan.

The CommerceGuard system, deployed at 20 major seaports around the world, monitors the cargo's security status and sends an alert to USTRANSCOM officials in the event a container is opened without proper authorization.

"In addition to heightening our security measures with intrusion alerts, the data made available through the CommerceGuard global information network adds efficiency to our processes by confirming that our containers are secure throughout this vital supply chain," Vice Adm. Ann Rondeau, USTRANSCOM acting commander, said in a statement.

"This allows our supported commanders to focus their attention on operations."