Homeland Security to brief industry next month on standoff explosives-detection project
WASHINGTON, 23 June 2014. U.S. homeland security experts will brief industry late next month on an upcoming project to give early warning of explosives in vehicles approaching security checkpoints.
Officials of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in Washington will brief industry on the upcoming Vehicle Eye-Safe Trace (VEST) project from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on 31 July 2014 at the Wilbur J. Cohen Building (AKA Voice of America Building) at 330 Independence Ave. SW in Washington DC.
Technologies developed in the VEST program are to be deployed in front of federal building vehicle security checkpoints to provide early warning for threats entering the area. VEST will address trace element explosives detection on vehicles that may be carrying explosives, DHS officials say.
An official broad agency announcement that describes VEST program opportunities for industry will be released prior to the industry day briefings, DHS officials say.
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This conference is to provide information on the planned VEST solicitation, draft BAA 14-B0003, which solicit sources for technical solutions for the VEST project. All technologies considered for VEST must be eye-safe.
Phase 0 of the VEST project involves proof-of-concept is demonstrations, while phases I through IV will involve the design, development, building, testing, and piloting of the detection system.
For attendees to the industry briefings, DHS officials are looking for organizations with the expertise to design and build such a stand-off explosives detection system. The idea is to detect and interdict explosives at safe distances.
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Register to attend the VEST program industry briefings no later than 24 July 2014 online at www.signup4.net/public/ap.aspx?EID=ADVA162E&OID=130. Foreign nationals must sign up by 30 June 2014. The briefings are unclassified.
For questions or concerns contact the DHS's Duane Schatz by phone at 202-254-2417, or by email at [email protected]. Also contact tony Whitehead by phone at 202-254-6365, or by email at [email protected].
More information is online at www.signup4.net/public/ap.aspx?EID=ADVA162E&TID=A1WzcLO5cwk0HdTxnyCsBQ%3d%3d.
John Keller | Editor
John Keller is editor-in-chief of Military & Aerospace Electronics magazine, which provides extensive coverage and analysis of enabling electronic and optoelectronic technologies in military, space, and commercial aviation applications. A member of the Military & Aerospace Electronics staff since the magazine's founding in 1989, Mr. Keller took over as chief editor in 1995.
