Mobile Medium Energy Non-Intrusive (NII) Technology Modernization

Added: Apr 08, 2015 10:11 am CBP Officers and Border Patrol Agents, in the course of their work, examine conveyances and cargo. These inspections take place at controlled Ports of Entry (POE) and Border Patrol checkpoints, and are aimed at detecting items prohibited from import into or export from the U.S. Each day CBP Officers and Border Patrol Agents use a variety of Large Scale Non-Intrusive Inspection (LS-NII) systems. LS-NII systems in the mobile configuration allow CBP to quickly move operations to different locations, based on the threat.

The LS-NII mobile medium energy imaging systems have been in operation for 8-10 plus years and are reaching the end of their predicted life cycle. Continued use of these systems in their present condition will increase Operation & Maintenance (O&M) costs and result in unacceptable performance levels; ultimately in decreased detection limits and higher false alarms. Based on the projected acquisition of new systems the mobile medium energy imaging fleet will be required to operate well beyond its 10 year life cycle. Realizing these boundaries, the goal of this effort is to modernize the mobile medium energy equipment by replacing a limited number of subsystems to improve imaging performance and reliability at a significant cost savings over replacing the entire system. The Statement of Work (SOW) for this effort will define the tasks necessary to upgrade the imaging subsystems of a LS-NII mobile medium energy system to include program management, concept definition/validation, prototype fabrication/testing and Limited Rate Initial Production (LRIP) for up to five systems to be used for field evaluation. It is noted that this SOW will not address the mobile/mechanical aspects of the system.

The scope of this effort is a Research and Development (R&D) Program to modernize US Customs & Border Protections (CBP) Large Scale Non-Intrusive Inspection (LS-NII) mid-energy radiography equipment. CBP has an aging fleet of LS-NII equipment with rapidly diminishing performance characteristics and increasing Operation & Maintenance (O&M) costs. The goal of this modernization would be to extend the service life, enhance the sustainability, and improve the imaging performance of the existing fleet equipment.

It will be the Contractors responsibility to: (a) design a solution that will replace a limited number of subsystems and improve imaging performance and reliability at a significant cost savings to replacing the entire system; (b) demonstrate that the technical approach will work in a laboratory environment/proof of concept; (c) develop a prototype that can be integrated in an actual system; (d) conduct an initial field evaluation of prototype system; (e) integrate and install up to five upgrade kits; and, (f) provide operations and maintenance support for a field evaluation at Ports of Entry (POEs) within the continental United States for a period of up to 12 months. The Statement of Work (SOW) will define the tasks necessary to upgrade the imaging subsystems of a LS-NII mobile medium energy system including: program management, concept definition/validation, prototype fabrication/testing and LRIP and support for up to 5 units.

The primary requirements/specifications, which the Contractor shall specifically address to improve upon performance and extend the system life cycle are the following upgrade specifications:

Inherent Availability Operational Environment Maximum Penetration Horizontal and Vertical Spatial Resolution Contrast Sensitivity Image Resolution Radiation Exclusion Zone Scan Speed Average Throughput

The Request for Proposal (RFP) will contain a baseline R&D effort with several options for additional testing, LRIP, and support for the LRIP evaluation period. The notional period of performance for this effort will be 38 months.

This project is under the technical direction of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science & Technology (S&T) Directorate, Border and Maritime Security Division (BMD) and the U. S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Office of Information and Technology (OIT), Laboratories and Scientific Services Division (LSS), and the Interdiction Technology Branch (ITB) in consultation with the Office of Field Operations (OFO).