Maritime and Ports

Samsung buys a minority share of CommerceGuard
Deal is the company’s first venture into the cargo security market; $15 million deal includes exclusive Asian marketing rights
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CoVi and ObjectVideo
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t5
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RAND puts ferries at the top of the list of emerging terrorist threats
With their wide decks, slow-moving ferries are extremely vulnerable to even the slightest explosions; suicide bombers, mines, and boat-borne IEDs among likely methods of attack; screening ferry crews and increased wharf surveillance are best responses
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U.S. Navy, DHS seek proposal for laser weapons
U.S. defense and homeland security agencies want information on building a laser weapon capable of thwarting a demanding range of threats, among them ” Jet Skis, small-boat swarm attacks, rockets, mortars, artillery rounds, shoulder-fired missiles, electro-optic sensors, and soft, unmanned aerial vehicles,” and more
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Coast Guard looks at threats from non-conatinerized cargo
Break bulk and roll on/roll off cargo present a unique challenge awaiting a solution; cars, cotton bales, and turbine equipment cannot be easily moved through a portal radiation screener; a dirty bomb in a car trunk is just one of the horrifying scenerios
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EDO to develop very-shallow-water mine-neutralizer system
Defending shallow coastal waters against terrorists who would lay mines in order to disrupt commerce and inflict damage is becoming a big issue for the world navies; the U.S. Navy has its Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) program, and a New York company now wins a contract to develop mine sweeping operations in support of the LCS project
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LoJack enters the cargo security market
Licensing deal with SC-Integrity allows the latter to market products under the LoJack in Transit brand name
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TWIC program bad news harbor trucking industry
Experts expect a large drop-off in truckers when the government begins registering port workers; 25-50 percent are illegal, and few others want these jobs; wages are down, yet demand is high as foreign trade booms
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National retailers applaud SAFE Port Act
Signed into law last week, the final language excludes foreign port screening requirement; retailers feared increased costs without a measurable increase in security; compromise that mandates U.S. port screening welcomed by trade association
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California creates Maritime Security Council
Comprised of federal, state, and local officials, as well as business and union interests, the council will help coordinate recovery and communications efforts; with $4.5 billion in annual cargo, state is extremely vulnerable to economic disruption
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Savi Technology to manage Virginia's cargo tracking services
Company’s SaviTrak RFID technology a growing favorite among port authorities worldwide; open technology platform can process barcodes and EPC-compliant passive and DPS systems
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SAIC announces roll-out of new port radiation detector
News comes at same time Congress demands widespread adoption of such technology; VACIS P 7500 ideal for ports and other infrastructure with limited space; system requires a lane only twenty-seven feet wide
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California ports shortchanged in latest round of port security funding
Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles face a drastic cut, while Oakland and San Francisco are frozen out alltogether; state officials react angrily and question DHS’s allocation process; California sees a history of ill-treatment on security spending issues
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DHS to increase four-fold security funding for New York, New Jersey ports
DHS’s decision three months ago to cut funding to New York City antiterror programs by 40 percent was welcomed by an equal measure of disbelief and outrage (especially when the department explained that its review process found no national monuments or icons in the city); the department will announce today that it is increasing four-fold its support for security programs at the ports of New York and New Jersey
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