NCJ Number
133889
Date Published
1991
Length
10 pages
Annotation
Federal efforts to develop technology for countering terrorism are summarized with particular focus on technological research into explosives detection aboard aircraft.
Abstract
It describes research into technologies for use in other areas of counterterrorism such as protection against chemical and biological attacks, physical security, data dissemination, and incident response. Important findings deal with decreased funding for the Technical Support Working Group which has had a significant deleterious effect on counterterrorist research and development, insufficient funding for research and development of counterterrorist technologies which are spread across 20 agencies, and the unnecessary requirement of installation of thermal neutron analysis devices at airports. Testing protocols for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and proposed Explosives Detection Systems need to be established as well as the use of a combined systems approach to solving airline security problems. In addition to these findings some options are outlines for Congress regarding the funding of research and development and the implementation of some of the developed technologies.