Smiths Detection Nabs Contract for EDS Systems at German Airport
Smiths Detection says the District Government of Upper Bavaria has selected the company to provide 25 HI-SCAN 10080 XCT explosive detection systems (EDS) for hold baggage screening at Munich Airport. The XCT systems combine X-Ray and computed tomography technology and advanced detection algorithms. The machines meet the European Civil Aviation Conference Standard 3 requirements for EDS systems, which must be deployed to airports in Europe by 2020. The ECAC Standard 3 meets new security threats and reduced false alarm rates. Smiths says the XCT system will meet explosives threats specified by the new standard and can be upgraded to meet future requirements. The systems have a throughput of up to 1,800 bags per hour. The company says the systems will be “seamlessly integrated into Munich Airport’s existing infrastructure.” The first three systems will be installed and operational by the end of this year and the remaining systems will be deployed between 2018 and 2021. The contract includes a service agreement.
L3 Nabs Contract to Supply ClearScan Checkpoint Scanners
L3 Technologies [LLL] says it recently received an order from a major international airport for 25 of its ClearScan computed tomography-based scanning systems to screen carry-on bags for passenger checkpoint screening. The order is possibly the largest ever so far for CT at the checkpoint screening. CT-based systems are used to automatically screen checked bags for explosives at airports. Christopher Kubasik, the company’s president and chief operating officer, says on L3’s recent third quarter earnings call that the award has an option for another 30 of the CT-based systems, which offer the potential to eventually allow travelers to leave their liquids and personal electronics in their bags. The U.S. Transportation Security Administration is evaluating the technology to replace its Advanced Technology X-Ray systems that currently screen carry-on bags at airport checkpoints. Mark Laustra, the head of global business development for Analogic [ALOG], which is offering the ConneCT CT-based system for checkpoint screening, tells HSR that L3’s recent order “reaffirms the need for CT systems at airports worldwide.” Integrated Defense & Security Systems is also offering a CT-based system to screen carry-on bags.
Unisys in $60M Contract to Support Australian Border Protection Agency
Unisys [UIS] has received a potential three-year $60.4 million contract extension from the Australian Department of Immigration and Border Protection for managed end-user computing and infrastructure support services. Under the extension Unisys will continue to provide services to the department through June 2021, including around-the-clock, first level service desk support for all immigration systems and infrastructure support for the department’s mid-range equipment. “International airlines, freight companies and travel agents all need to interact with DIPB’s immigration systems, and the combination of Unisys’ domain knowledge, technology and experience delivers the seamless electronic process they expects,” says Lysandra Schmutter, vice president, Public Sector, Unisys Asia Pacific. “Effective communication between these systems is critical to allow the Australian government to check and manage who and what is coming into Australia in a timely manner, while preventing unnecessary delays to legitimate people or cargo entering the country.”
Smiths Detection Nabs Contract for Body Imagers at Narita Airport
Smiths Detection says that Tokyo’s Narita International Airport has awarded the company a contract to install 12 eqo whole body imagers to screen passengers at security checkpoints. The order follows a directive from the country’s Japan Civil Aviation Bureau to upgrade checkpoint security to comply with the latest international standards. The eqo system is based on millimeter wave technology. The security upgrade comes before Japan hosts the Rugby World Cup in 2019 and the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic games in 2020. The equipment has been in operation since March 2017.
DHS Health Office Awards $14M for BioWatch Services
The Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Office of Health Affairs has awarded potential five-year contracts worth a combined $13.5 million to state and local laboratories throughout the U.S. to procure BioWatch sample handling services. OHA estimates the costs well be $100,000 per site in in each fiscal year between 2017 and 2021. This amounts to a total of $2.7 million annually. There are 27 state and local public health laboratories across the nation that participate in the BioWatch services.