US Homeland Security to hold air cargo bomb detection seminar Dec 19

EXPLOSIVE detection experts at the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in Washington will hold a briefing for air cargo industry next month on the department's plans to detect traces of home-made bombs, reports Tulsa-based Avionics Intelligence.

Briefings will include sessions on background chemical measurements in support of air cargo security; measurements in support of trace detection of homemade explosives and ambient ionisation techniques for detecting ammonium nitrate.

The half-day DHS seminar begins at 10am on December 19 at MIT Lincoln Laboratory at Hanscom Air Force Base in Lexington, Massachusetts. Pre-registration is required and the number of delegates is limited to 50 who are US citizens and hold appropriate security clearances.

The briefings are entitled Trace Signature Analysis in Support of Air Cargo Security, and the sponsor is the DHS Science and Technology Directorate.

Discussions will focus on DHS-funded trace explosives signature analysis efforts at the MIT Lincoln Lab and the US Army Edgewood Chemical Biological Centre at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland.

Those who wish to attend should have technical expertise with trace explosives detection methods in air cargo screening. DHS officials are inviting industry representatives as well as relevant government officials.

For questions or concerns contact the DHS's Malisa Dorn by e-mail at malisa.dorn@associates.hq.dhs.gov.