TSA Awards Contract for Airport Personnel Screening Equipment

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has awarded American Science and Engineering a contract to produce SmartCheck personnel screening systems for use at airport security checkpoints. With a maximum value of $10.8 million, the first phase of the contract covers lease of five SmartCheck Personnel Screening Systems with an option to purchase an additional seventy-five systems over the next two years. The contract includes warranty, service and training. Anthony Fabiano, the company’s president and CEO, said “the contract offers TSA the ability to deploy SmartCheck personnel screening systems on a broad basis for use as a safe and effective tool for aviation threat detection. SmartCheck provides the most comprehensive personnel screening technology available for detecting a broad range of potential threat items while ensuring the privacy of the traveling public.” SmartCheck is a non-intrusive personnel screening system that allows operators to detect threats and contraband hidden on a person while ensuring privacy. AS&E’s Backscatter X-ray technology displays both organic and inorganic materials, revealing objects such as guns and knives, explosives, composite weapons, and other hidden threats and contraband. The software provides a sketch outline of the passenger with information for the security operator to identify the nature and location of threats, thus eliminating the need for intrusive and time-consuming pat-down searches. For added privacy, the system is not capable of storing, exporting, printing, or transmitting images. All images are automatically deleted from the system immediately after they are reviewed by the operator who is located in a remote, secure area away from the screening.