The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has revised its previous order for 80 CTX 9000 DSi Explosives Detection Systems (EDS) built by General Electric [GE] to now include 41 CTX 9000 and 39 CTX 9400 unites. GE says there is no change to the value of the original contract, which was put at $76 million (TR2, Aug. 22, 2007). The company says it has been able to “largely hold the line on cost on the upgrades to the 9400 and its capabilities” as part of a multi-generational product improvement plan. The product improvement plan for the CTX 9000 series allows for a continuing upgrade path through new product releases without having to change out the EDS infrastructure. Last spring the TSA ordered 16 CTX 9400 upgrade kits to upgrade previously deployed systems. GE is currently developing its next improvement in the CTX 9000 series, the CTX 9800, which is supposed to have better resolution and full volumetric scanning, which should lead to higher levels of detection and higher throughput. The 9800 has completed initial data collection and GE has begun its pre-certification process before submitting it to TSA for certification. Separately, GE has sold and deployed two CTX 9000s to support checked baggage screening at the new passenger terminal at South Charleroi Airport in Brussels. The systems have been integrated in the baggage handling system for inline screening. “Charleroi continues a growing trend in Europe, and around the world, to the use of advance CT (Computed Tomography)-based checked bag screening,” says Edwin de Wolf, general manager of GE Security’s Homeland Protection business in Europe.
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