Rapiscan gets DHS contract for radiation detection tool

The Homeland Security Department has awarded a $2.7 million contract to Rapiscan Systems Inc. to develop a radiation detection system, said officials from the Hawthorne, Calif.-based company.

The award to Rapiscan, a division of OSI Systems Inc., will be in two phases. The Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency awarded the project.

The technology is being designed to work as a stand-alone or in tandem with image-based screening technologies, such as the Eagle X-ray, which is operating in the Port of Baltimore.

The Rapiscan radiological Threat Identification System is designed to automatically detect and identify radioactive material within cargo and vehicles using gamma-ray spectroscopic analysis. This method distinguishes between radiological threats and benign, naturally occurring materials, Rapiscan officials said.

As part of this multiphase, competitive-bid initiative, performance tests are scheduled to begin soon. The field will then narrow to the top three systems, followed by a large-scale acquisition.