An essential component of securing U.S. borders involves providing adequate infrastructure and technology at U.S. ports of entry for expeditiously scanning and examining cargo and conveyances for contraband, weapons, bulk currency, radioactive materials and other illicit goods.
U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP) currently uses a variety of large and small scale Non-Intrusive Inspection (NII) systems. Each of these systems is operated independently and each has its own graphical user interface, resulting in training and operational inefficiencies.
A new effort will investigate the potential operational and manning efficiencies to be gained through the development and demonstration of a common viewer that supports the operation of different vendors’ systems, from both local and remote locations.
The primary goal of this effort will be to evaluate the technical feasibility of integrating the output of multiple vendors NII technology into a service oriented architecture with a common viewer and network those workstations inside and out of the ports of entry and at other locations in the command structure.
In addition, this System will be designed to accept independent third-party developed contraband threat recognition modules conforming to a common applications programming interface (API) to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of CBP officers to detect different types of contraband.
The long term goal of the effort is to enhance and optimize the efforts of CBP officers to resolve cargo security issues by creating a networked capability of detection technologies and other security related information, from multiple data sources and locations, on a common display.
The Request for Proposal (RFP) will contain a baseline system demonstration which will be divided into four (4) phases. This baseline demonstration will end with a full demonstration of the system capability at two or more ports of entry.
The notional period of performance for the baseline demonstration is 13-22 months. In addition, there will several options which will allow the Government to expand the system capability which could include additional training; integration of threat recognition modules; integration of additional detection systems and information; deployment of additional systems; and system support.
This project is under the technical direction of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science & Technology (S&T), Border and Maritime Security Division (BMSD) and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Office of Information and Technology (OIT), Laboratories and Scientific Services Division (LSS), and the Interdiction Technology Branch (ITB).
Further details are available via Solicitation Number: D16PS00036.