Lockheed Martin wins screener training work

Lockheed Martin Corp., Bethesda, Md., has been awarded a $105 million contract to train airport security forces, the Department of Transportation announced April 24.

Under the Lockheed Martin contract, each screener will receive a minimum of 40 hours of classroom training, five times the amount they received under the previous system. Screeners also will receive 60 hours of on-the-job training and must pass a final examination.

Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta announced the contract during remarks to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Cargo Summit in Washington. Baltimore-Washington International Airport will be the first airport to deploy federal personnel, Mineta said. Under the Aviation and Transportation Security Act, all airport security screeners must be federal employees by Nov. 19.

Mineta also announced that the agency would pursue the deployment of explosive detection systems to screen all passenger bags by the end of this year.

Up to 1,100 explosive detection systems and up to 4,700 explosive trace detection machines will be placed at the nation's 429 airports by Dec. 31 to screen all bags for explosives, as mandated by Congress.