TSA Awards $10M for Explosives Detection Canines
The Transportation Security Administration has selected 12 contractors to compete for potential awards under a $9.5 million Blanket Purchase Agreement for bomb sniffing dogs. The awardees are: American K9 Interdiction; Arete Canine; Hill Country Dog Center; K2 Solutions; MSA Security; PiperCoughlin; SOC LLC; Texas K9 University; Vohn Liche Kennels; Von Der King; VWK9; and Xtreme Concepts. TSA anticipates ordering about 1,000 canines over the next five years under the BPA.
DHS S&T Awards Small Contracts to Improve Threat Detection in Checked Bags
The Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate has awarded three contracts worth about $3.5 million in total for research and development into improving threat detection capabilities of current X-Ray technologies for checked baggage systems. DHS says that these investments could help with the development of next-generation baggage screening systems. “We are addressing current, ongoing, and upcoming capability gaps with a three-pronged approach utilizing the continuous transition of hardware, software and knowledge,” says Sharene Young, S&T’s program manager for Checked Baggage. Under a Dec. 2016 Broad Agency Announcement, the following awards were made: Capture LLC, of San Diego received $1.2 million to develop and automated threat detection algorithm for improved detection of prohibited items such as guns and knives using a deep learning 3D convolutional neural network approach; DxRay, Inc./Rapiscan [OSIS] of Northridge, Calif., $817,444 to produce 12 large field-of-view, high-output count rate X-Ray imaging arrays with high spatial and energy resolution that can operate at room temperature and be manufactured cost-effectively. This detector technology will help eliminate false positive in primary screening lanes by adding inline X-Ray diffraction; and EV Products of Saxonburg, Pa., $1.5 million to improve high-speed coded-aperture X-Ray scatter imaging screening to stream-of-commerce rates. This technology will allow X-Ray machines to be more efficient, with both better detection and lower energy needs.
Crossmatch Sells Over 750,000 Fingerprint Readers in India
Crossmatch says sales of its 500 ppi silicon and optical single finger readers, modules and sensors in India have surpassed 750,000 units as part of India’s Aadhaar program, the world’s largest biometric identity program. Most of the sales have been through Crossmatch’s Indian partner AqTronics Technologies and their affiliates. “India represents an important market for the company,” says John Hinmon, Crossmatch’s marketing director. “Through our valued local partners and distributors, the U.are.U and TouchChip lines are sold for use in a wide range of applications, including secure transaction authentication, supported by the Unique Identification Authority of India Aadhaar program.”
DHS Awards Paragon $201M for Security Guard Services
Paragon Systems Inc. has received two contracts from the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Protective Service worth a combined $201 million to provide armed protective security officer services at federally owned and leased buildings. Under a potential five-year $108.3 million contract, Paragon will provide protective services for the government in San Diego. Under a potential $93 million award, the company will provide services to 10 locations throughout the National Capital Region. The second contract has a one-year base period, four one-year option periods and an optional six-month extension.
Metal Shark Nabs $20M for Cutter Boat-Large
Metal Shark Boats has won a potential $20 million contract from the Coast Guard to provide it with small craft that will operate from the 210-foot medium-endurance cutters, the 225-foot seagoing buoy tenders, and the cutters Alex Haley and Mackinaw. The Cutter Boat-Large standardizes the cutter boat platform in use on these assets. The Cutter Boat-Large will be fastened to davits aboard the cutters that deploy with it and will be used for a variety of missions within line-of-sight of the cutter throughout a spectrum of climate condition and in day and night operations. Metal Shark also builds the Coast Guard’s Response Boat Small, which operate close to shore for various missions.