This report assesses the operational performance of explosives-detection equipment and hardened unit-loading devices (HULDs) in airports and compares their operational performance to their laboratory performance, with a focus on improving aviation security.

This book addresses new technologies being considered by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for screening airport passengers for concealed weapons and explosives. The FAA is supporting the development of promising new technologies that can reveal the presence not only of metal-based weapons as with current screening technologies, but also detect plastic explosives and other non-metallic threat materials and objects, and is concerned that these new technologies may not be appropriate for use in airports for other than technical reasons. This book presents discussion of the health, legal, and public acceptance issues that are likely to be raised regarding implementation of improvements in the current electromagnetic screening technologies, implementation of screening systems that detect traces of explosive materials on passengers, and implementation of systems that generate images of passengers beneath their clothes for analysis by human screeners.

Filling a critical gap in aviation engineering literature, this unique and timely resource provides you with a thorough introduction to aviation system security. It enables you to understand the challenges the industry faces and how they are being addressed. You get a complete analysis of the current aviation security standards ARINC 811, ED-127 and the draft SC-216. The book offers you an appreciation for the diverse collection of members within the aviation industry. Moreover, you find a detailed treatment of methods used to design security controls that not only meet individual corporate interests of a stakeholder, but also work towards the holistic securing of the entire industry. This forward-looking volume introduces exiting new areas of aviation security research and techniques for solving today's the most challenging problems, such as security attack identification and response.

Protection of the traveling public from terrorist threats involving explosives is a major goal of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). For 20 years, the TSA (and the Federal Aviation Administration before it) have been investing in technologies to meet that goal. To support that activity, the TSA has asked the NRC to assess a variety of technological opportunities for offering such protection. The NRC is approaching this assignment by issuing a series of reports on chosen technology applications. This is the first of that series and presents an assessment of mass spectrometry for enhanced trace detection (ETD) of chemicals contained in explosives. The report describes limitations of trace detection in general and the current technologies in particular. It then presents a discussion of the potential for mass spectrometry to improve EDT including challenges faced by such a system, recommendations for starting a program to take advantage of mass spectrometry, and recommendations for a phased implementation plan.

Making aviation security more cost-effective is hampered by considerable uncertainty about the terrorist threat, security system performance, and the costs of security measures. This volume focuses on exploring ways to inform decisionmaking despite such uncertainties, providing a set of analyses that help fill some of the current gaps in the assessment of the costs, benefits, and efficiency of aviation security measures and strategies.

Following the terrorist attacks of September 11th 2001, there has been a plethora of legislation and acts resulting in security screening of airline passengers and their baggage to the deployment of newer and more updated security technologies, aimed at closing this alarming gap in security. This new book examines additional proposals and actions not only from Congress, but the FAA as well. Contents: Preface; Aviation Security Technologies and Procedures: Screening Passengers and Baggage; Selected Aviation Security Legislation in the Aftermath of the September 11 Attack; Vulnerabilities in, and Alternatives for, Pre-board Screening Security Operations; Terrorist Acts Demonstrate Urgent need to Improve Security at the Nations' Airports Operations; Weaknesses in Airport Security and Options for Assigning Screening Responsibilities; Vulnerabilities and Potential Improvements for the Air Cargo System; Transportation Security Administration Faces Immediate and Long-Term Challenges; Registered Traveller Program Policy and Implementation Issues; Index.