Despite the priority the Transportation Security Administration has placed on fielding a new generation of carry-on baggage scanners at U.S. airports, the agency’s budget request for fiscal year 2022 suggests that the rollout of the checkpoint computed tomography (CT) scanners will continue at about the current pace.
The Department of Homeland Security is requesting $104.5 million for the Checkpoint Property Screening System (CPSS), which includes the CT scanners and several different potential configurations for passengers to divest and retrieve their personal items. TSA estimates that if Congress approves the funding request as is, the agency will purchase 126 checkpoint CT systems, split evenly between the base and full-size configurations.
TSA earlier this year completed installation of the first 300 checkpoint CT systems, which were supplied by Smiths Detection under a $97 million contract the company received in March 2019. That award was made when the program was known as Advanced Technology/Computed Tomography and the machines were installed with existing divestiture and retrieval hardware.
The award to Smiths was protested but ultimately upheld. Industry competitors were shocked at the time that Smiths’ bid was as low as it was and had expected the agency to select at least two contractors for the initial tranche of CT systems. Expectations for the second round of CT purchases are for at least two contractors.
Congress also provided $39.1 million for the CPSS program in FY ’21 and TSA’s budget documents say the agency plans to purchase 51 mid-size CPSS systems with the funding. Combined with the planned FY ’22 purchases, the agency would buy about 177 CPSS systems over the next two years, a rate that suggests it will take closer to 10 years to reach full operational capability with the various configurations.
The agency ultimately plans to buy between 2,200 and 2,400 CPSS.
The base-size systems essentially are the CT systems integrated with existing screening lane hardware. The mid-size systems include ingress and egress conveyors and an operator-initiated auto-diverter for suspect bags to be moved to a secondary inspection area. The full-size systems include automated conveyance and with parallel divestiture, automated bin return and high threat containment.
The DHS budget documents say that the base CPPS systems meet the Accessible Property Screening System 6.2 detection standard algorithm, enabling the detection of more explosive threats and prohibited items, reducing false alarms, automating detection of explosive threats and prohibited items, and allowing passengers to leavy electronics and liquids in their carry-on bags. The documents also says that hardware enhancements will enable networking and remote screening.
TSA in the next few months is expected to award a contract for the next CPSS acquisition. It appears that this procurement round would be with the FY ’21 funds.
The DHS budget documents estimate that the per unit cost for a CPSS base configuration is $615,000, for the mid configuration $755,000, and for the full-size nearly $1.1 million.
In addition to Smiths, Analogic, Integrated Defense and Security Solutions, and Leidos [LDOS] are competing for the CPSS awards.