US Customs & Border Protection Agency orders Astrophysics’ X-ray inspection systems

Astrophysics has been awarded a contract to supply its X-ray inspection systems to the US Customs & Border Protection (CBP) agency.

Awarded by the US Department of Homeland Security, the $23.1m five-year indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (ID/IQ) contract covers delivery of small, medium and large X-ray systems, associated peripherals, training, and warranties in support of CBP’s non-intrusive inspection (NII) programme.

Specific systems to be supplied include the XIS-6545 for small parcel inspection, the XIS-1080 for medium parcel inspection, and the XIS 100XDV for large parcel inspection.

Astrophysics chief executive officer Francois Zayek said: "In this day of budget cuts and reduced government spending, Astrophysics’ solutions represent both the best value and cutting-edge technology.

"In addition, our systems are manufactured in the U.S., providing the ideal combination of advantages for today’s security needs."

Apart from industry standard 3 colour imaging, Astrophysics’ systems feature a unique 6 colour view that helps operators more easily distinguish threat items from non-threat items based on atomic weight and density.

A quality checkpoint system featuring Astrophysics superior XIS software and maximised throughput, the XIS-6545 is designed for detection of small to medium sized threat objects.

The systems are widely used at courthouses, prisons, hospitals, and airport checkpoints.

Equipped with a heavy duty conveyor belt, the XIS-1080 is a mid-size X-Ray inspection system used for screening of standard and oversized baggage, dolly-sized crates and larger scale objects.

The XIS-100XDV is a dual view X-Ray inspection system designed for identification of potential security threats at airports, military and government sites with increased accuracy and speed.