DHS S&T Awards $2M to Small Companies for Handheld Imaging Devices

The Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate has awarded two small businesses contracts worth about $1 million apiece to develop compact, handheld passenger screening devices for aviation security. San Diego-based Spectral Labs

will continue research and development to produce and test a prototype anomaly recognition tool capable of locating anomalies in or under clothing of people passing through checkpoints and detection a variety of threats, including explosives and non-metallic items. TeraMetrix, based in Ann Arbor, Mich., will continue R&D to produce and test a prototype handheld millimeter-wave advanced threat detection and imaging wand. The two-year awards were made under Phase II of the Small Business Innovation Research program. The handheld advanced detection and imaging efforts being developed will address the critical need for a more robust and modernized screening device that is affordable and convenient and that can work in a variety of environments and situations,” says Kathryn Coulter Mitchell, acting under secretary for S&T.

US Agency Orders CUAS from DroneShield

DroneShield says it has received an initial order from a “high-profile U.S. critical infrastructure federal agency” for a portable counter-unmanned aircraft system (C-UAS).  The sale is the first to the agency. The name of the customer wasn’t disclosed. “U.S. government, through its various agencies, is the single largest counter-drone customer globally,” says Oleg Vornik, DroneShield’s CEO. “Smaller orders such as this, are an important initial step-stone commitment, leading to larger acquisition programs following the evaluation process. We have now successfully been through this sequence with other government customers, both in the U.S. and globally.” DroneShield says the new sales expands its U.S. government customer base that includes federal and state agencies. Separately, the company says it has “sold a quantity” of its long-range RfOne MKII sensors to the Australian army to allow it to assess future counter-drone requirements and options. DroneShield is based in Australia.

Army Plans Award to Data Machines for Biometric Collection Systems

The Army says it plans to award Data Machines Corp. a potential 26-month contract to support the technical refresh of biometric collection kits, the Near Real Time Identity Operations SEEK II and Jump Kit. The refresh will include the procurement of the collection kits, interoperability between the NRTIO Regional Forward Server, which is being replaced with the NRTIO GovCloud, obtaining the Authority to Operate for the collection kits, training material, and deploying the new biometric collection kits to NRTIO users. The contract will have a one-year base period, a one-year option, and a three-month option.