Beyond x-ray machines: airports test alternative technologies for checkpoints.

• Author: Jean, Grace
• Position: AVIATION SECURITY

Under fire for deficient airport security systems, the Transportation Security Administration has been busy lab testing technologies to beef up passenger screening checkpoints and moving numerous devices into pilot programs across the country.

Such an influx of screening systems marks a coming of age in the security industry. It is a boon for agencies such as TSA, which has long been in search of machines that are capable of meeting the rigorous demands of airport operations.

Technology that might have been dismissed a few years ago because it wasn't quite mature enough is being reexamined by TSA, says Mike Golden, chief technology officer who joined the agency last December. He previously worked at Southwest Airlines as senior director of airport security technologies.

"I came at a great time when the technology was starting to mature more," he says.

Manufacturers and a large portion of overseas countries have been investing in research and development efforts for advancing screening technologies.

TSA revisited those systems and saw enough improvement that officials decided it was time to start replacing older machines in the field. So-called "advanced technology" systems not only give airport security personnel a boost today, but they also will have greater longevity as their abilities to accommodate upgrades has improved, says Golden.

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Because of the rapidly evolving terrorist threats to commercial aviation, TSA is examining baggage and passenger screening technologies that can adapt quickly to changing security requirements in airports.

The latest threat--liquid explosives--has exposed a gap at passenger security checkpoints. Critics say the magnetometers that screen individuals for metal and the X-ray machines that peer into carry-on bags for weapons have become ineffective against would-be terrorists who have turned to other materials to elude authorities. Analysts have criticized the agency for being slow to deploy systems that detect potentially hazardous materials beyond conventional weapons.

"Current technologies do not provide the screeners a high degree of success in finding what they're looking for," says Douglas R. Laird, president of Laird and Associates Inc., a security consulting firm. "If you have components to an improvised explosive device, you are not going to find them with an X-ray machine--it just doesn't provide enough detail."

Such criticism has not fallen upon deaf ears. Since the foiled terrorist plot last year in London to destroy transatlantic airliners en route to the United States, TSA has been scrambling to find and test machines that can detect explosives in liquids.

Working with the Department of Homeland Security's science and technology directorate, TSA attained a commercial product that the military has deployed overseas for explosives detection. The manufacturer, ICx Technologies Inc., modified the handheld device for use at airport checkpoints.

Called the Fido PaxPoint, the liquid explosives detector continuously samples the air for vapors and gives screeners the ability to scan bottles without having to open containers. It has been tested at several airports, including Boston's Logan International and Los Angeles International.

"It's been hugely successful for us," says Golden.

The agency also is testing the Sabre 4000, a commercial handheld product that is being used extensively overseas, he says. It comes with two features. Operators can swab suspicious items and place the swab into the machine for results in six seconds, or they can use the device to sniff for vapors.

The vapor capability is being tested by TSA, but the swab feature is in operation at select airports. The device's portability allows screeners to take the unit outside of a security checkpoint and onto a plane to look for explosives, if necessary.

"Being mobile is a huge advantage for us," says Golden. "Both these units, by being handheld, give us a real ability to be flexible and nimble within the checkpoint."

TSA is gathering data on these two devices, and so far they're exceeding expectations, he says. TSA plans to purchase...