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To: Boplicity who wrote (7559)	5/12/2002 1:46:15 AM
From: Boplicity	Respond to of 13815

I'm going to ans the bulk question, LLL, lighter, simpler, lower voltage EDS. LLL has a great looking chart, while INVN is going down with the rest, LLL is a much bigger company then INVN, I thing INVN has been used as bee in LLL pants to make LLL not priced their product too high, even if INVN will get thrown a bone due to the need for these devices, see below article, LLL will get the lion share. some reading. Transportation Security Administration Office of Communication and Public Information Washington, DC May 2002 TSA FACT SHEET Explosives Trace Detection (ETD) and Explosives Detection Systems (EDS) In April, Sec. Mineta announced the TSA would deploy 1,100 EDSs and 4,700 ETDs to the nation’s 429 airports to meet the Dec. 31 deadline to screen all checked bags. TSA has determined a mix of these two technologies will provide an efficient and effective means of passenger protection. The primary baggage screening process will use a combination of the technologies, at some airports, there may be all EDSs; at some, TSA will use both ETDs and EDSs; while at others, there may be all ETDs. The mix of ETDs and EDSs at specific airport locations will be determined by examining these factors: · Peak bag loads. · Ability of the airport and air carrier to integrate EDS into the baggage-handling system. · Physical restrictions of EDS having to do with weight and size (EDSs weigh about 9,000 lbs. and are the size of min-vans). · Construction cost associated with EDS installations due to excessive structural modifications needed. · Availability of EDSs from the manufacturers — InVision Technologies Inc. of Newark, Calif. and L-3 Communications of New York, N.Y. ETDs work by collecting samples and detecting vapors and residues of explosives. The human operators collect samples by using swabs to rub different areas of the bags. Swabs are then dropped into chemical analyzers that separate and identify any threat explosives present in less than 10 seconds. ETDs are characterized by small weight and size, and relatively low cost (about $40,000 each). The effectiveness of ETD is determined by the effectiveness of the human operator in collecting the sample. EDSs use probing radiation (currently computer-aided tomography (CAT scan) X-rays adapted from the medical field) to take fundamental measurements of materials in bags to automatically recognize the characteristic signatures of threat explosives. EDSs are characterized by large size and weight, and high cost (about $750,000 each). They run in an automated mode. Before Sept. 11, ETDs and EDSs were deployed to screen different vectors by which explosives could be introduced into baggage. ETDs have been used primarily for screening carry-on bags while EDS have been deployed for use in screening checked bags. Both technologies have been deployed to airports since 1997 and have demonstrated similar high rates of detection. Data collected from the more than 1,000 ETDs that have been deployed at airports for use with carry-on bags show that these machines operate reliably with low nuisance alarm rates. ETD nuisance alarms usually are due to the presence of actual explosive residues as a result of passengers’ hobbies, professions or medical conditions; e.g., construction workers who handle explosives for their jobs or passengers who take nitroglycerin as heart medication. TSA has procedures in place that cannot be detailed publicly to resolve these alarms. EDS nuisance alarms result from the similarity of densities of some materials with the densities of some explosives. The EDSs experience automated nuisance alarms at rates higher than the ETDs. The agency has procedures to resolve nuisance alarms that, while they cannot be detailed publicly, may include screening with ETDs. Currently, the TSA uses FAA-developed certification tests to certify EDS. The Aviation Security Improvement Act of 1990 required these certification tests for bulk explosives devices. There was no such legal requirement for ETD; however, ETDs undergo extensive testing before being listed on the approved vendor list. There are currently three approved ETD vendors — Barringer Instruments Inc. of Providence, N.J., Ion Track Instruments of Wilmington, MA., and Thermo Detection of Chelmsford, MA. The TSA is currently in the process of developing a certification test for ETD, so both ETD and EDS will be certified before the Dec. 31 deadline for screening checked bags. ###

To: Boplicity who wrote (7559)	5/12/2002 12:59:12 PM
From: Chadick	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 13815

LLL is basically the company which was AIL, Airborne Instrument Labs ,in Long Island,NY. They were always a provider of electronic instruments and electronic countermeasures from what I remember. I would classify LLL as a heavyweight. Much more experienced at bidding and negotiating with military and governmental agencies.Plus LLL is involved in simulators and trainers. Lots of technology expertise and comfortable in making acquisitions to obtain more. I don't know anything about the electrical question you asked. Fred