TSA Awards Smiths Detection Potential $500M for EDS Systems
Smiths Detection has received a whopping $500 million contract for medium-speed explosive detection systems (EDS) from the Transportation Security Administration. The potential $500 million award is the ceiling value. Smiths supplies its CTX 9800 EDS systems to TSA for the automatic screening of checked bags for explosives. TSA also plans to award contracts to L3 Technologies [LLL] and Leidos [LDOS] for their EDS systems. All three companies have certified EDS systems that TSA acquires and deploys to U.S. airports to automatically screen checked bags for explosives. Under the new awards, TSA says it plans to negotiate with the contractors in support of planned EDS deployments for the next three to five years. Smiths’ award runs from Sept. 2018 until Sept. 2023.
Leidos Receives $62M to Upgrade Reduced Size EDS
The Transportation Security Administration has awarded Leidos [LDOS] a $61.7 million contract to upgrade and retrofit fielded Reveal Imaging CT-80DR and CT-80DR+ baseline configured reduced size explosive detection systems (EDS). Reveal Imaging is a business unit of Leidos. Upgrades to the CT-80 computer processing units are needed in order to take advantage of new algorithms that help TSA keep ahead of evolving threats. If TSA were not to upgrade the systems, the estimated cost to replace them is $268.5 million. The contract is for three years.
OSI Systems Receives $88M for Screening Systems in Separate Contracts
OSI Systems [OSIS] says its Rapiscan Systems division has received $88 million contracts from U.S. government customers for various screening systems. The largest contract, $67 million, is with Customs and Border Protection, for Z Portal cargo and vehicle screening systems. Under the two-year award, the company has already received its first delivery order for $61 million. The systems are expected to be deployed at multiple border locations. The second contract, for $21 million, is from a U.S. government agency to provide service and maintenance support for cargo and vehicle inspection systems. The systems include the company’s OmniView Gantry cargo inspection system, the Z Portal passenger vehicle screening system, and the Sentry Portal cargo inspection system. The second customer wasn’t identified.
DHS Awards Five Companies $23M for Radiation Detection Research
The Department of Homeland Security Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office has awarded five companies a total of six contracts worth up to $22.8 million for research on radiation detection technologies. The awards were made under an exploratory research broad agency announcement. Canada’s Bubble Technology Industries received two awards, one valued at $4.2 million and the other $4.1 million. The larger award is for work under the statement of work entitled “Thallium Bromide Radionuclide Identification Device” and the other award is for the “Modular System for Mobile Active Interrogation using Neutrons.” Leidos [LDOS] received the largest of the research contracts, $4.7 million, for work entitled, “A Centralized Data Analytics System for Nuclear Security.” OSI Systems’ [OSIS] Rapiscan Systems division received a potential $4.4 million award for “Platform-Integrated and Robotic Active Neutron Interrogation Apparatus.” Radiation Monitoring Devices won upwards of $4 million for”T1Br Pixelated RIID,” and Raytheon [RTN] was awarded $1.4 million for “RAIN Maker.” RIID stands for radioisotope identification device and RAIN stands for radiation awareness and interdiction network.
TSA Awards $19M to Four Companies for Work on Screening Algorithm
The Transportation Security Administration has awarded four contracts worth a combined $18.6 million to Analogic, Integrated Defense & Security Solutions (IDSS), L3 Technologies [LLL], and Smiths Detection to continue work on a new algorithm for advanced screening capabilities called the Accessible Property Screening System (APSS). Analogic received $3.4 million, L3 $5.1 million, IDSS $5.7 million, and Smiths Detection $4.4 million. Development of the APSS algorithm is related to each company’s development of computed tomography (CT)-based scanning systems to screen carry-on bags at airport checkpoints in the U.S. The algorithm development is in response to new and emerging threats and to enhance the detection capabilities of the CT systems, TSA says. The four companies began work on the APSS algorithm with contracts in FY ’17. The latest contract modification is for threats that TSA did not have requirements for at the time.
Stratovan Receives $3M for Work on Automated Threat Recognition Software
Stratovan Corp. has received a one-year $3 million modification from the Transportation Security Administration to expand development efforts of the vendor-neutral Automated Threat Recognition (ATR) software related to the Digital Imaging and Communication in Security (DICOS) 2.0A standard. Under the current contract that precedes the modification, Stratovan was tasked to develop a vendor-neutral ATR algorithm to meet the current detection standards using explosive detection system images for a Smiths Detection CTX-9800 system used to automatically screen checked bags for explosives. Under a previous contract, Stratovan developed a software development kit that allowed for vendor proprietary computed tomography (CT) formatted data to be converted into a standard imaging format based on medical CT applications. TSA says the company’s vendor-neutral ATR successfully passed the detection evaluation. Under the modification, Stratovan will also expand the detection capability of the algorithm to include homemade explosives and integrate the algorithm onboard to the EDS machine. TSA says if this effort is successful, it will be able to move into a competitive environment for third party ATR development, opening the market to new solutions.
State Department Selects Standoff Detection System for Mexican Customs
The U.S. Department of State has selected a terahertz-based standoff detection system supplied by Thruvision to screen pedestrians crossing the Mexico-U.S. border for contraband. The department is acquiring 14 of Thruvision’s TS4-A compact standoff detection units for use at three border ports of entry in the El Paso, Texas, and Ciudad Juarez area to evaluate the utility and reliability of the technology in an operational environment. The use of terahertz technology would eliminate the need for X-Ray screening, reducing screening time and health concerns, while also allowing for the detection of non-metallic objects such as concealed drugs or currency underneath a person’s clothing. The system must be able to display images on location and send them to command centers in Mexico and the U.S. The throughput requirement is at least 100 people per hour.
Metal Shark Receives $3M Coast Guard Order for Response Boats-Small
The Coast Guard has placed a $3 million delivery order with Metal Shark Boats for seven Response Boast-Small (RB-S) IIs. The 29-foot RB-S IIs are replacing the 25-foot RB-S. Deliveries will begin next spring. So far, the Coast Guard has ordered 350 RB-S IIs and 318 have been delivered. The new boats can reach a top speed of over 40 knots and are used for search and rescue, vessel boarding team deployment and law enforcement missions, port security, drug and migrant interdiction, and environmental response operations.
SAFE Boats Receives $3M Coast Guard Order for OTH-IV Boats
The Coast Guard has awarded Washington-based SAFE Boats International a $2.7 million contract to supply seven Over The Horizon IV (OTH-IV) cutter boats, including trailers and training. So far the Coast Guard has ordered 103 of the boats and 93 have been delivered. Under the latest order, two are planned for the eighth National Security Cutter, Midgett, and the other five are slated for Fast Response Cutters. The 26-foot OTH-IVs have a top speed of 40 knots and are used for over-the-horizon missions such as search and rescue and interdiction.