The U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has awarded a Lockheed Martin-led team a contract to begin field testing advanced certified explosives detection systems (EDS) in two major U.S. airports.

Funded by a $1.1 million cooperative agreement grant from the TSA under its Phoenix Project, Lockheed Martin's team, which includes Analogic Corporation of Peabody, MA, will install the systems at Sky Harbor International Airport, Phoenix, AZ, and at John Wayne Airport, Orange County, CA. The systems incorporate technology enhancements, demonstrated by the Lockheed Martin team during earlier phases of the Phoenix Project, that enhance the performance of EDS equipment already deployed around the nation.

"Providing the TSA with technologies that boost the safety and security of air travel as well as keep airports functioning efficiently are the top priorities for the Phoenix Project," said Brian Tanton, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin Distribution Technologies. "Field testing our EDS equipment marks a significant milestone for implementation of Lockheed Martin's threat detection equipment designed to achieve both of these goals."

The cooperative agreement funding approved by the TSA includes designing and developing technology enhancements to existing EDS machines. This grant covers the fifth and final phase of the Phoenix Project's five-phase initiative. The first four phases, preliminary design, critical design, system development and test and evaluation have been successfully completed. Phase 5, field operational test, is the installation, integration and testing of the technology developed in Phases 1-4.

Headquartered in Bethesda, MD, Lockheed Martin employs about 135,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture and integration of advanced technology systems, products and services.

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SOURCE: Lockheed Martin