The Transportation Security Administration on March 18 awarded Analogic a $781.2 million contract to provide more next-generation carry-on baggage scanners and related automated security lanes at airport security checkpoints in the U.S., a major win for the company that solidifies its position at the moment as the leading provider of the checkpoint computed tomography (CT) systems to TSA.
The contract includes up to 469 base and 469 full-size systems, which combined with more than 600 checkpoint CT systems TSA previously awarded contracts for will take the agency a long way toward its goal of deploying around 2,400 of the CT scanners.
However, the timing of awarding the full $781.2 million is unclear and will depend on future budgets. The fiscal year 2022 budget, signed into law in mid-March, only has about $105 million for checkpoint CT, well off the roughly $350 million needed annually that TSA Administrator David Pekoske has said are needed to complete deployments within five years.
FY ’23 Request
The Biden administration’s request for checkpoint CT systems isn’t any better for FY ’23, coming in at $105.4 million. The administration released the request on March 28. Checkpoint CT has been a priority for Pekoske, but the program hasn’t been able to muster broader budget support in the larger battles over federal spending priorities.
A TSA spokesman tells HSR that the initial orders cover 19 base and 19 mid-size systems, with additional orders expected in fiscal year 2022 once the agency receives its full appropriation in the coming weeks and months.
In FY ’22, TSA expects to eventually purchase 36 full-size and 103 base units, he said.
Airport deployments under the new contract are expected to begin this summer.
Analogic is currently the only company on TSA’s Advanced Capabilities List to provide the checkpoint CT systems, one industry official tells HSR. Integrated Defense and Security Solutions, Leidos [LDOS] and Smiths Detection have also been vying for TSA’s checkpoint CT work.
Analogic in August 2021 won a $198 million contract to provide 314 mid-size CT systems, which are currently being installed at some U.S. airports. TSA in March 2019 awarded Smiths Detection $97 million for the first 300 checkpoint CT systems, all of which have been deployed.
As of late March, TSA has installed 34 of the 314 mid-size units under contract to Analogic.
The planned procurement in FY ’22 is in line with TSA’s deployment strategy established when it awarded the mid-size contract to Analogic in 2021, the spokesman said.
Combined with the 614 units already deployed or in the process of being deployed, the FY ’22 orders for 139 systems will bring installations to 753 checkpoint CT machines, about 31 percent of the ultimate goal.
“These awards are another important step in enhancing aviation security,” TSA Administrator David Pekoske said in a statement. “They provide our dedicated frontline officers with one of the best tools available to screen passenger carry-on items and also improves the passenger experience by allowing passengers to keep more items in their carry-on bags during the screening process.”
The checkpoint CT systems provide the operator with a virtual three-dimensional image of a bag’s contents to improve threat detection and include automated threat detection algorithms that allow passengers to leave their personal electronics and laptop computers inside their bags, thereby speeding processing at the checkpoint. The scanners also allow security officers to virtually rotate a bag, giving the operator a better view of its contents.
The CT technology is what powers the explosive threat detection systems used to rapidly and automatically scan checked bags for explosives.
Under the base model, Analogic will provide its ConneCT system and the gravity rollers that feed and unload bags on either end, as well as a manual diverter. The full-size systems include the scanner, automated conveyors with a parallel divesting lane for suspicious bags, automated bin return, and a high-threat containment capability.
The earlier mid-size award to Analogic included the powered conveyors, an automatic divert capability for suspect bags, primary and alternate viewing stations, and the bins.
All the awards to Analogic have been made under the checkpoint property screening system effort, which includes a higher detection standard than the first contract to Smiths, which was made as part of the previous advanced technology (AT)/CT program.
The CT systems are replacing AT X-ray systems, which have been supplied by Smiths and OSI Systems’ [OSIS] Rapiscan division. The legacy AT systems don’t feature the 3D imaging capabilities and while the suppliers touted the ability of their machines to eventually be used for automated threat detection, TSA never used these capabilities.