‘PaxBag’ program to search for nuke material on airline passengers or in baggage
The DHS is planning a pilot program that will scan commercial airline passengers traveling through an international airport in the U.S. to determine if they are carrying any illegal radiological or nuclear materials – which could be used in a nuclear weapon or a dirty bomb -- on their bodies or in their baggage.
The Passenger and Baggage Pilot Program, known as PaxBag, is being developed by the systems engineering and evaluation directorate within the DHS Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO.)
According to a DHS “sources sought” notice published on Dec. 11, DNDO wants to identify innovative companies with emerging technologies that can provide security officials with “accurate, reliable and durable rad/nuc detection and identification systems that would increase the probability to detect, identify, and categorize illicit radiological/nuclear materials entering the United States via international passengers and/or baggage pathways.”
The goals of the PaxBag program include scanning only passengers for rad/nuc materials, scanning both passengers and their carry-on and checked luggage for such materials, and detecting radiological sources of gamma or neutron emissions in real-time or near real-time.
The detection equipment should be able to spot low-activity radiological materials, even in the presence of “distinct masking sources,” said the DHS notice, and even when a variety of shielding materials are being used. Furthermore, the identification systems being sought should be able to locate the radiological sources within a two-meter radius, even in a cluttered environment.
DNDO, which emphasized that it was only gathering capabilities information from prospective contractors at this stage, nonetheless indicated that “PaxBag may lead to systems testing and operational demonstrations.”
Potential vendors are asked to describe how data will be transferred from their sensors to a remote or central monitoring location, how operators will be notified of an alarm and how the system’s radiated emissions might interfere with other equipment located in the airport.
Potential suppliers are asked to submit their information to DHS no later than Jan. 8, 2009, but to skip any glitz or hype. “Responders are encouraged to avoid use of excessive marketing lexicon, to avoid submission of fancy brochures and other unnecessary sales literature, and to avoid product puffery,” said the no-nonsense DHS notice.
Further information is available from Tracy Miller, contract specialist, at 202-254-7027.
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