Leidos has been awarded a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) prime contract to provide Multi-Energy Portal (MEP) systems for non-intrusive inspection (NII) of commercial vehicles at both land and seaports of entry.
The multiple-award indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract is estimated to be worth $480 million. It stipulates a five-year base period, with options up to ten years. The MEP systems themselves will be assembled in Vista, California and deployed to ports of entry around the country.
"We are excited to provide the latest technological advancements to support CBP's essential mission. This effort requires screening technology that is fast, frictionless and fully integrated,” commented Jim Moos, president of Leidos' Civil Group. “We are proud to provide this critical non-intrusive inspection technology and assist CBP as they increase screening on over 22 million containers a year."
CBP is responsible for supporting international trade by inspecting cars, trucks, railcars and sea containers, along with personal luggage, packages, parcels and flat mail. NII systems are CBP's most important resource to screen for inadmissible persons, contraband, illicit narcotics, guns and other illegal goods from being smuggled into the country.
The contract requires Leidos to integrate, deploy and train CBP staff to use its VACIS MEP with low-energy backscatter and high-energy transmission cargo inspection system. The system includes a QR code reader, a radio frequency identification system (RFID), license plate recognition (LPR) technology, cameras and an open-standards interface to the Department of Homeland Security HS SWIFT system.
Leidos' MEP system offers improved material discrimination and image resolution, enhancing the ability to locate contraband and providing a multi-view imaging capability with under-vehicle inspection and secure interoperability.
Leidos has other NII contracts with CBP as the end-user. Some other contracts included mobile and rail VACIS systems, which detect concealed threats and contraband in passenger vehicles, commercial cargo and other containers. VACIS is one of several Leidos Security Detection & Automation solutions for all types of ports of entry
About Leidos
Leidos is a Fortune 500 information technology, engineering, and science solutions and services leader working to solve the world's toughest challenges in the defense, intelligence, homeland security, civil, and health markets. The company's 39,000 employees support vital missions for government and commercial customers.