The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) last week began pilot testing new technologies designed to better identity fraudulent identifications and airline boarding passes at airport security checkpoints.
The tests of the Credential Authentication Technology/Boarding Pass Scanner System (CAT/BPSS) began last week at Dulles International Airport near Washington, D.C, and will begin this week at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, followed next week at Luis Munoz Marin International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
For the tests, TSA is using systems provided by NCR Corp. [NCR] United States-based businesses of Britain’s BAE Systems, France’s Safran Group. Last fall the agency awarded the three companies a combined $3.2 million for each to supply 10 of their respective solutions to be used in testing (Defense Daily, Oct. 4, 2011). TSA said that for the pilot tests, each airport will receive six of the units, two from each vendor.
TSA said that it will expand the deployment schedule for CAT/BPSS once the pilot testing proves successful. The ceiling value on the indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract is worth $79 million. A Request for Proposal early last year said that TSA plans to purchase 1,100 CAT/BPSS units.
Currently as passengers arrive at an airport security checkpoint, a TSA Travel Document Checker uses a black light to inspect identification documents. With CAT/BPSS the TSA agent will scan the boarding pass and photo identification and then automatically verify the names provided on both documents match and authenticate the boarding pass. The systems are also designed to spot altered and fraudulent IDs.
“The piloting of this technology is another milestone in TSA’s ongoing risk-based security initiative,” John Pistole, TSA administrator, said in a statement. “The ability to efficiently and effectively identify fraudulent identity documents and authenticate boarding passes has the potential to not only improve security but also the checkpoint experience for passengers.”