The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has awarded contracts to three firms to improve on their respective next-generation checked baggage Explosive Detection Systems (EDS) in order to meet agency requirements. Under TSA’s Stationary Gantry/Fixed Source Screening Systems project, L-3 Communications [LLL] received a $2.8 million award, OSI Systems’ [OSIS] Rapiscan Division a $5.8 million award and SureScan Corp. a $5.3 million contract. Current TSA approved EDS systems used to screen checked bags at the nation’s airports have rotating gantry systems, which limit throughput and have higher maintenance costs. TSA says the contracts will allow the firms to pursue engineering modifications to meet its “detection requirements in order to improve system throughput, reduce system and life cycle cost and improve system reliability and availability, while maintaining TSA security requirements.” Rapiscan is currently developing its Real Time Tomography-based system to meet TSA’s needs for a next-generation EDS. SureScan says its contract calls for the delivery of two of its x1000 units, one of which will be delivered to TSA’s new Integration Facility for testing within a year. SureScan says its x1000 system has a throughput of up to 1,000 bags per hour. Using the Integration Facility will enable TSA to begin to do operational type testing in parallel with its certification process, which should ultimately speed deployment, James Herard, marketing manager at SureScan, tells TR2. Currently, General Electric [GE] and L-3 have EDS certified by TSA.
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