Passport Systems Signs Potential $1B LOI with Vietnam for Cargo Security System
Passport Systems, Inc. says it has signed a letter of intent (LOI) to sell 18 of its SmartScan 3D scanners to Vietnam’s Customs Authority in a deal potentially worth $1 billion. The SmartScan 3D scanners features automated detection, including of radiological threats. The system provides users with automated threat detection with 3D localization, automated and rapid alarm resolution, high-penetrating X-Rays, and material identification, according to the company’s website. The letter of intent was signed with 216 Company JSC. “The purchase, installation and use of these scanners is both for the United States, and Vietnam, and the scanner improves global security and at the same time optimizes trade flows, creating a significant number of jobs, and we look forward to working with Vietnam’s General Customs Office in the coming years,” says Dr. Robert Ledoux, president and CEO of Passport Systems. In addition to nuclear material, the SmartScan 3D can also automatically detect explosives, drugs, nervous agents, armor components and other smuggling products, and also has the sensitivity to differentiate between water and alcohol.
DHS Awards Applied Research Associates $72M for JRC Support
The research and engineering company Applied Research Associates (ARA) has received a potential five-year $72.5 million contract from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to provide support for the department’s Joint Requirements Council (JRC). Specifically, ARA will provide analyses and assessments supporting the development, integration, implementation and fielding of required new capabilities, and for monitoring and maintaining the adequacy and operation of existing capabilities. The support efforts will address the mission needs, capabilities and requirements of the JRC and the department’s Science and Technology Directorate.
TSA Awards Smiths Detection $45M for EDS Systems
Smiths Detection says it has received a potential $45 million order from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) for multiple medium-speed explosives detection systems (EDS). The award was made in April to Morpho Detection, which has since been acquired by Smiths from its former owner, Safran Group. The order calls for Smiths to provide 26 CTX 9800 DSi EDS systems, and contains an option for 12 additional units. The order was placed under an existing five-year indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract that TSA awarded Morpho Detection in 2012. So far, the agency has ordered over 1,300 EDS systems from Morpho, including almost 200 CTX 9800s. Smiths Detection has deployed more than 2,000 CTX units worldwide.
TSA Awards Smiths Detection Potential $18M Services Contract
Smiths Detection has received a potential $18.1 million award from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to provide technical and engineering services to the company’s explosives trace detection, bottled liquid scanners, and Advanced Technology X-Ray systems deployed by the agency for screening applications. TSA previously said it was awarded technical and engineering services contracts to the companies’ that supply it with screening detection equipment but did not disclose the individual values. The total value of the awards is $215.1 million.
Coast Guard Awards Metal Shark $6M for 15 Response Boats-Small
Metal Shark Aluminum Boats has received a $6 million order from the Coast Guard for 15 Response Boat-Small (RB-S) II close-to-shore boats, bringing to 279 the number of RB-S IIs ordered so far. Today, 250 of the boats have been delivered. The 29-foot RB-S II can travel at a top speed of more than 40 knots. They boats are used for search and rescue, law enforcement, port security, environmental response, and drug and migrant interdiction.
DHS S&T Awards $1M in SBIR Contracts
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR) has awarded $1.3 million to 12 small businesses for 12 Phase I contracts to develop technology solutions. The objective of the Phase I awards it to establish technical merit, feasibility, and commercial potential of the proposed research and development efforts. Awards of $100,000 each were made in five topic areas. Under Enhanced Agent Situational Awareness in Dismounted, Low Light/Adverse Conditions, Intelligent Automation, Inc. won for its Dismounted Adversary Recognition and Tracking System, and Physical Optics Corp. won for its Infrared and Optical Wilderness Location and Surveillance System; under Do-No-Spoof Services for Modern Telephony, AnaVation, LLC won for Verification of Caller Ascertained Logically, Illuma Labs, LLC won for Real-Time Authentication to Counter Caller ID Spoofing, and SecureLogix won for A Layered Service Provider/Customer Approach to Call Spoofing; for Identity Verification & Validation for Mobile Networks Authentication Enhancement, NAND Technologies Inc. won for SIM Forward: Leveraging Trusted Authentication for New 5G Services, and Rivetz Corp. won for Trusted Execution Providing Simpler and Stronger Priority Access; for Wearable Chemical Sensor Badge, Aromatix Technologies won for Versatile Wearable Chemical Sensor using Ultrasound Gas Sensing Technology, Design West Technologies won for a Wearable Toxic Chemical Sensor Badge, Morphix Technologies won for a Wearable Chemical Sensor Badge, Platypus Technologies, LLC won for Wearable Liquid Crystal Based Chemical Sensor Badge for the Identification of Toxic Industrial Chemicals, and TSA Research, Inc. won for Wearable Smart Chemical Sensors; for Over-the-Air Authentication Technology for Messaging via Emergency Alerts, NAND won for AlertPrime: Tokenizing WEA.