Detection

TSA finds most railroad security measures inadequate
$7 million study finds advanced explosives and screening methods suffer high false positive rates; yet traditional methods such as X-rays and canines suffer from poor economies of scale; study may upset congressional plans to boost railroad security spending
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DHS offers $58 million in new anti-nuclear research grants
Domestic Nuclear Detection Office and the National Science Foundation team up to encourage research into sensors and radiation dispersal devices
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Livermore Lab introduces card-based explosives detection system
Disposable, self-contained system can fit in a wallet and requires little training to use; ampoules within the card contain the reagent materials, eliminating the need to handle chemicals; DHS, Mounties among current customers
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IED conference scheduled for April
Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization to hold a three-day conference in Leesburg, Virginia; event open to industry and academia, but attendees must possess secret clearances; Ike Skelton to give the keynote address
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Air Force deploys mobile bioweapons detection labs
Equipped with $100,000 in equipment, the trailer can quickly identify fourteen biological agents; McConnell Air Force Base plays host; mobile testing marches on
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"Speed bump" IEDs continue to plague forces in Iraq
With EFPs suddenly in the limelight, it is important to keep in mind other IED threats; speed bump IEDs are simple to manufacture, easy to conceal, and require no Iranian assistance; V-shaped hulls and mine rollers among established defensive techniques, but more are needed
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Senate to clash with House over container 100% inspection provision
The House voted to mandate 100% inspection of U.S.-bound frieght containers; a Senate panel agrees with the Bush administration that the measure would be too costly
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Boeing wins $11 million UUV refurbishment and testing contract
Industry heavyweight will give the AN/BLQ-11 Long-term Mine Reconnaissance System a thorough going-over; system capable of twelve hours of autonomous reconnaissance before docking itself through the torpedo tube; testing to begin at Puget Sound and Bahamas
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Iraqi troops demonstrate unusual IED clearing method
Unschooled in advanced techniques, soldiers play kick the can; American observers horrified; worries grow about ability of Iraqi army to manage on its own
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Discovery of Iranian-made IEDs in Iraq presents business opportunities
More than 170 have been killed by explosively formed penetrators capable of penetrating tanks; military says jamming countermeasures are ineffective; weekend announcement is first public acknowledgement of their existence; a prime opportunity awaits the savvy inventor
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Vanderbilt researchers use controllable proteins to detect bioattacks
Many sensors rely on proteins that bind to suspected agents; a problem develops, however, when the biological weapon is new and unknown; controllable proteins, optimistic researcher say, will be to biowarfare detection what transistors were to computing
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New York to test elaborate radiation detection monitring system
DHS will begin this spring testing an elaborate system of nuclear radiation monitoring in and around New York City; concerns persist about cost, effectiveness, and disruptions to commerce and traffic from false alarms
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Bush proposes $4 billion for Joint IED Defeat Organization
Allocation would be a major improvement over previous years; IEDs continue to take a toll, yet technological responses remain problematic; other budget winners include the Future Combat System and BioSense
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L-3 CyTerra receives a $40 million Army mine detection order
Follow-on order comes as part of a larger $300 deal for 17,000 units; 3,000 have already been delivered for use in Iraq and Afghanistan; AN/PSS-14 system marries metal detection to ground-pentrating radar
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RE2 wins small business grant to develop agile UGVs
Robotics company known for its SHERPA platform will create a speedy unmanned ground vehicle with a manipulator arm; military has long desired a combination of swiftness and technical prowess; Foster-Miller and Exponent lend a hand
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