Rapiscan Nabs $130M Follow-on Turnkey Deal with Mexico
OSI Systems [OSIS] says its Rapiscan Systems division has received a new two-year agreement with Mexico’s customs authority worth up to $130 million to continue providing turnkey security inspection services throughout the country. The company says the expected sales are already baked into its financial guidance for fiscal year 2018. “We are excited to continue the very successful border security screening program in Mexico that we started in 2012,” says Deepak Chopra, chairman and CEO of OSI. “This contract is a testament to the performance of our technology and our people, and the significant role this program has played in public safety and in law enforcement efforts against the smuggling of contraband.” Under the agreement, Rapiscan will continue to operate a comprehensive X-Ray screening program incorporating technology, staffing, systems integration, and maintenance support at sites throughout Mexico. The new agreement began on Jan. 14.The previous six-year contract was worth about $120 million in sales annually. Jefferies analyst Sheila Kahyaoglu estimates that under the new contract, the company’s will be negatively impacted by 75 cents per share for the first year.
Smiths Detection Provides Security Scanner for Moscow Airport Terminals
Smiths Detection says it received an order to provide 91 X-Ray systems for use at new terminals at Moscow Sheremetyevo International Airport, the largest order the company has ever received from that airport. Most of the equipment was installed by Dec. 2017. The order includes scanners for the passenger checkpoint, hold baggage and cargo. The order includes 30 HI-SCAN 5180si X-Ray systems for screening passenger baggage at the entrance to the airport, 32 HI-SCAN 6046si checkpoint scanners for carry-on bags, two HI-SCAN 10080 XCT and four HI-SCAN 10080 EDX-2is for hold baggage, 17 HI-SCAN 100100T systems for larger, out of gauge items in the passenger terminal, seven HI-SCAN 180180-2is pro models for large-scale, consolidated and palletized goods, two HI-SCAN 100100V-2is scanners for break bulk and other cargo, and three HI-SCAN 6046si scanners. Smiths says it has a relationship with the airport dating back more than 20 years. The contract was negotiated by NEOSCAN Russia, a Smiths Detection distributor.
Rapiscan Gets $21M Order for Additional EDS Systems
OSI Systems [OSIS] says its Rapiscan Systems division has received a $21 million follow-on order to provide multiple units of its RTT 110 explosive detection system (EDS) for installation at Charles de Gaulle international airport near Paris. “Our RTT checked baggage solution’s installed base continues to grow with European airports that are actively seeking to upgrade their screening infrastructure to the latest aviation threat detection standards,” says Deepak Chopra, OSI’s chairman and CEO. The RTT features a solid state gantry. The system meets European Civil Aviation Conference Hold Baggage Screening EDS Standard 3 threat detection requirements and has been deployed by a number of airports and air logistics providers.
ASRC Nabs $428 Million DHS Award to Manage Plum Island
Arctic Slope Regional Corporation (ASRC) says its federal business won a recompete of a contract to manage, operate and maintain the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Plum Island Animal Disease Center’s infrastructure and scientific support activities. ASRC Federal is the incumbent on the contract. The new award is for up to 10-years and is valued at $428 million. ASRC says that in addition to supporting Plum Island, work under the contract includes helping with the eventual move of the center’s animal disease research and training work to the new National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility that DHS is having built in Manhattan, Kan.
Dubai Airport Deploys Princeton Identity Multimodal Biometric System
Princeton Identity Inc. says that Dubai International Airport (DBX) has deployed 100 of the company’s Access500e face and iris capture identity management kiosk modules as part of the airport’s new smart gate. The “Eyen” gate system captures a traveler’s biometrics, eliminating the need for visitors to check in with a customs agents, saving time for passengers and the airport staff. The smart gate helps verify all travelers entering and leaving the country. Princeton Identity says that the airport plans to deploy 40 more Access500e modules soon. The company says its system identifies travelers within one to two seconds. Princeton Identity has opened a new international office in Dubai to support its work at DXB and to serve as the hub for its Middle Eastern and African regional offices. Princeton Identity worked with the tech company Emaratech for the Access500e deployment at DBX.
IARPA Awards Battelle $9M for Bio-Threat Work
Battelle has received an $8.7 million from the U.S. Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA) to develop threat assessment software to assess the threat of potential genetic sequences before they are synthesized, which the non-profit company says would enable the end user to reduce the risk that biological threats will be created either intentionally or accidentally. The award was made under the Functional Genomic and Computational Assessment of Threats program, which is aimed at countering potential threats that could arise from advancements in biotechnology. Battelle’s industry partners on the work include Ginkgo Bioworks, One Codex, and Twist Bioscience. “Biotechnology is more accessible than ever, with Internet-accessible products and services enabling advances in numerous industries,” says Dr. Trevor Petrel, research leader with Battelle. “The exponential growth in capability of genetic engineering as well as accessibility to these biological tools requires that we rethink conventional biosecurity to evolve with the rapid pace of technology.”