Boeing gets Operation Safe Commerce pilot work

Boeing Co. was selected by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to implement a Department of Homeland Security Operation Safe Commerce pilot program, officials of the Chicago-based company announced. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Operation Safe Commerce is a federally funded initiative to improve the security of cargo entering U.S. ports in the United States and reduce threats to the supply chain. More than 6 million cargo containers enter the United States by sea each year. Boeing is already working on a similar pilot for the Port of Los Angeles and Long Beach.

The Boeing pilot program will extend tracking to commerce on U.S. highways and railways to ensure the integrity of the containers through the entire supply chain. The company's container cargo security system will integrate a physical security and virtual layer of security into a single capability that can be used by both government and commercial users of the supply chain.

"We want to demonstrate the secure and efficient movement of shipping, from the manufacturer to the point of entry to retailers, while at the same time ensuring and enhancing the system's economics," said Rick Stephens, Boeing's vice president and general manager of homeland security and services.

Subcontractors to Boeing include ADT Security Services Inc. of Boca Raton, Fla., which develops security technology, systems and services for industry and governments; Global Marine Security Systems Co. of New York, which provides global maritime security, transportation and logistics services; Iridium Satellite LLC of Arlington, Va., which provides global satellite wireless communications services; and Parsons Corp. of Pasadena, Calif., an international, large-scale project planning, engineering and construction company.