SubscribeArgus VCT30 System Recognized At AVSEC World 2002 Forum
NEW YORK, NY, March 4, 2003 L-3 Communications (NYSE: LLL) announced today that its Security and Detection Systems division has received an award in the category of Innovative Security Technology for its VCT30 explosive detection system (EDS).
Awarded in Rome, Italy at AVSEC World 2002, a cooperative forum comprised of government organizations, airlines, and airports in the global air transport industry, the VCT30 is the only Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ARGUS system to receive such an award. The FAA’s ARGUS program is an initiative to develop state-of-the-art EDS technology to scan checked luggage at small airports and other low-throughput applications.
The FAA granted L-3 Communications Security and Detection Systems $6.3 million to develop he VCT30, a certified, automated, inexpensive, EDS used to screen checked luggage and parcels at regional airports and other locations in the United States with low throughput requirements. The certified VCT30 EDS system combines dual energy X-ray detection technology with computed tomography (CT) technology.
The result is a unit capable of scanning up to 73 bags per hour, while providing operators with clear, detailed views of potential threats. The VCT30 successfully passed rigid FAA/Transportation Security Administration (TSA) certification requirements in May 2002. The TSA has already purchased five VCT30 units. The first two units were deployed in December 2002 for final operational evaluation, with the remainder scheduled for delivery in the first quarter of 2003.
"This award confirms the TSA’s decision to provide L-3 with funding to develop state-of-the art EDS screening equipment for its ARGUS program," said Joseph S. Paresi, president of L-3 Security and Detection Systems. "We are confident that the original grant award, recent certification, deployment of the first units and now accolades by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Aviation Security International magazine, and Airports Council International (ACI) further validate L-3’s experience in engineering, design, and manufacture of quality, FAA-certified EDS systems."
With a broad range of systems and technology, and an installed base of over 18,000 units, L-3 Security and Detection Systems business offers X-ray screening for several major security applications: aviation systems for checked and oversized baggage, cargo and air freight; port and border applications; and facility protection. Security and Detection Systems customer base includes major airlines and airports, a number of domestic agencies, such as the U.S. Customs Service, U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of State, and international authorities throughout Europe, Asia and South America.
Headquartered in New York City, L-3 Communications is a leading merchant supplier of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) products, secure communications systems and products, avionics and ocean products, training products, microwave components and telemetry, instrumentation, space and wireless products. Its customers include the Department of Defense, selected U.S. government intelligence agencies, aerospace prime contractors and commercial telecommunications and wireless customers.
To learn more about L-3 Communications, please visit the company's web site at www.L3Com.com.
Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Except for historical information contained herein, the matters set forth in this news release are forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements set forth above involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from any such statement, including the risks and uncertainties discussed in the company's Safe Harbor Compliance Statement for Forward-looking Statements included in the company's recent filings, including Forms 10-K and 10-Q, with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
