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TSA places behavior observation teams in more airports
TSA behavior observers now operate in more than fifty U.S. airports; since January 2006, behavior-detection officers have referred about 70,000 people for secondary screening; of those, about 600 to 700 were arrested on a variety of charges
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China shows first domestically developed regional aircraft
China plans to become a serious competitor to Boeing and Airbus; today it has taken the first step toward that goal by unveiling Xiang Feng, a 90-seat jet
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Boeing reshuffles SBInet management
Boeing has stumbled in its handling of Project 28, the first phase of the large SBInet project; now, for the second time in four months, the company has reshuffled its management units and created a new component which will oversee this $30 billion DHS high-tech surveillance system
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U.S. DoT seeks technology to improve safety, reduce congestion on roadways
Department of Transportation is looking for commercially available technology applications designed to fight congestion and improve the safety and performance of the nation’s transportation system
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U.S. grounds 39 Lockheed P-3C surveillance planes
The U.S. Navy says that structural fatigue has caused the grounding of 39 out of the Navy’s 161 P-3C Orion surveillance planes; Orions used heavily in post-9/11 operations, including in Iraq and Afghanistan
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A better path to container scanning
Analyst: The congressionally mandated 100 percent container screening is unworkable; it arouses opposition from U.S. trading partners and industry; a better solution would be the adoption of in-container sensing systems
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Adding bellyflaps to blended-wing aircraft increase their manoeuvrability
Blended-wing aircraft generate less drag, are quieter, and use far less fuel; they are also less maneuverable because the aerodynamic surfaces that control an aircraft’s pitch are located closer to the aircraft’s center of gravity than those on a conventional aircraft; the solution, adding bellyflaps
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Border security chills trade relations
Canadians complain that U.S. security measures and protectionist sentiments in Congress have a chilling effect on U.S.-Canada trade relations; they also complain that the U.S. does not sufficiently take into account Canadian interests; Canadian International Trade minister: The U.S. attitude and one-sided measures “threaten the special relationship that used to be there”
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EU court agrees U.K., Ireland cannot adopt certain Schengen measures
EU’s highest court rules that the European Council was correct not to allow the United Kingdom and Ireland to adopt new Schengen agreement regulations establishing standards for security features and biometrics in passports
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RUSI-Qatar to stage regional maritime security conference in Middle East
U.K.-based research organization opens Qatar branch; first activity: Regional maritime security in March 2008, to be held in Doha; countries in region expect to spend $17 billion over next decade on ships and maritime equipment
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DHS announces Real ID grants
DHS released grant guidelines to assist states in applying for $35 million to begin implementing Real ID requirements for handling personal information associated with driver’s licenses
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DHS moves forward on data exchange project; business groups object
DHS wants to create Global Trade Exchange (GTX) — a data warehouse which would collect large volumes of commercial-transaction data from all parties involved in the production and movement of international shipments; trade groups say sharing confidential business data with foreign governments in the exchange would be a problem not only in terms of protecting U.S. competitiveness but also for national security reasons
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BAE tests counter-missile system on American Airlines aircraft
DHS awards BAE $29 million to test laser jamming systems on American passenger planes; test was initially limited to cargo planes, but Congress wants to see whether system is suitable for passenger planes
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TSA, Texas prison collaborate on dog training
TSA will allow inmates in Travis County State Jail in Austin to take care of puppies who will ultimately serve as explosives detection dogs within TSA’s National Explosives Detection Canine Team Program
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Somali pirates demand $1 million ransom for Japanese tanker
One way to make money in Somalia — perhaps the only way — is old-fashion piracy; in the latest episode, pirates demand $1 million for a Japanese tanker, threatening to kill the crew unless their demands are met
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The long view
Calls Grow for U.S. to Counter Chinese Control, Influence in Western Ports
Experts say Washington should consider buying back some ports, offer incentives to allies to decouple from China.