U.S. Customs and Border Protection contract for drive-through X-ray inspection portals

Smiths Detection, a global leader in threat detection and security screening technologies, today announces it has been awarded an indefinite-delivery-indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The award includes an initial order for a HCVP™Z60 drive-through X-ray inspection system which will be installed at a Laredo, Texas Border Patrol checkpoint by September 2022.

The HCVP™Z60 is a Multi-Energy Portal (MEP) consisting of transmission X-ray and backscatter systems for the fast and effective inspection of trucks, containers and other vehicles at land ports of entry for dangerous and illicit goods, including explosives, weapons and drugs. The system also validates the shipping manifest, further reducing the need for time intensive manual checks.

Equipped with a high-energy linear accelerator, the HCVP Z60 provides advanced imaging performance and reliable detection of objects even those hidden or concealed behind dense or heavy materials, with greater than 12 inches of steel penetration. A single scan can provide rapid results, allowing for a high throughput of over 100 vehicles per hour.

This contract builds on the extensive deployment of this technology by Smiths Detection, with the successful installation of 80 HCVP ™Z60 units to date globally.

Shan Hood, President of Smiths Detection Inc., said: “Our HCVP  Z60 is designed to meet the demands of the most complex security environments. With the deployment of this system at Laredo in Texas, U.S. Customs and Border Protection will have the capabilities to efficiently identify and intercept threats and contraband without inhibiting the flow of goods.”

As with Smiths Detection’s IDIQ contract with CBP for rail cargo inspection solutions, this agreement allows for additional orders of the HCVP™Z60 under a single contract over five years.