SAIC’s CT-800 EDS Meets European Detection Standards for Liquids
Science Applications International Corp. [SAI] says its CT-800 explosives detection system (EDS) has passed laboratory testing and met the European Civil Aviation Conference standards for detecting explosives in liquids, aerosols and gels (LAGs) that are unopened inside a bag, known as the Type D standard. The CT-800 is the first EDS system to meet the Type D requirements. In the testing the CT-800, which is a dual-energy computed tomography system capable of screening between 500 to 600 bags per hour at a checkpoint, met the Standard 2 requirements which require the detection of the broadest range of liquid explosives. The company says the tests also showed that the false alarm rates were a factor of three below the mandated threshold. “Allowing liquids back into bags will substantially improve operational and economic efficiency for airports throughout Europe and provide greater convenience for the traveling public,” says Alex Preston, general manager of SAIC’s Security and Transportation Technology business unit. The CT-800 also met the Type D+ standard, which means the system can screen LAG container even with complex electronics such as laptops in the bag. The European Commission has set a goal of April 2013 of allowing liquids to be left in carry-on bags as passengers move through security checkpoints at airports in Europe. The CT-800 is made by SAIC’s Reveal Imaging business unit.
GD Opens Cyber And Intelligence Center Near NSA, Cyber Command
To help it better serve some of its classified customers in the area of cyber security, General Dynamics [GD] has opened its Cyber and Intelligence Solution Center near Fort Meade, Md., home to the National Security Agency (NSA) and the U.S. Cyber Command. The new 28,000 square foot facility, which will seat up to 100 GD employees, also houses the EDGE Innovation Center, which is a GD-sponsored consortium consisting of hundreds of companies that help their customers collaborate on requirements and needs. The newest EDGE facility is the 11th in the consortium’s portfolio. The new high-security Cyber Center will help GD more closely collaborate with its government partners and features a variety of technology tools in the area of situational awareness to better understand attacks, gaps and vulnerabilities, cyber training solutions to test cyber tools, and platform integrity, Bill Ross, vice president of Federal Systems and Cyber Solutions for GD’s C4 Systems business, tells our sister publication Defense Daily. The facility will enable GD to work directly with its defense and intelligence government customers and other trusted partners and for the EDGE consortium separately to also work with the defense and intelligence community. The new GD facility highlights the growing importance of cyber security to the defense industry and for the industry to find ways to be more agile and collaborative with its government customers and partners. Last fall, Boeing [BA] also opened a new cyber facility near Fort Meade to improve its ability to work with its classified customers.
Lockheed Martin Delivers Fourth Upgraded P-3 Orion to CBP
Lockheed Martin [LMT] has delivered the fourth P-3 Orion maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft with the new Mid-Life Upgrade modifications to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) two months ahead of schedule. The upgrade replaces all fatigue life-limiting structures with enhanced-design components and incorporates a new metal allow that is five times more corrosion resistant than the original material, reducing the cost of ownership for P-3 operators. The upgrade removes current aircraft flight restrictions and extends the structural services live of the P-3 up to 15,000 hours, adding more than 20 years of operational use, Lockheed Martin says.
SightLogix Says TSA Validates Accuracy of Thermal Camera System
SightLogix, Inc., says the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has confirmed the video analytic accuracy of the company’s SightSensor video analytics thermal camera systems in over 900 outdoor scenarios at Buffalo Airport in New York. The company quotes a TSA report as saying that “’each alarm prompted the system to display the alarm video, location information, nearest camera reference numbers, data and time, and an audible alarm signal.’” The system includes the SightSensor video analytics cameras for detecting and tracking intrusions over large areas and SightTracker pan-tilt-zoom controllers to automatically steer Pelco cameras to zoom and follow detected targets.