The focus of this TTA is to continue to mature the advanced X-ray technologies for passenger X-ray baggage systems investigated in BAA-13-05 and other EXD development efforts. This effort will primarily be focused on maturing enabling technologies and technology prototypes representative of those developed under BAA 13-05 and other efforts into TRL level 6-7 checked and checkpoint baggage screening EDMs and demonstrating full-up system capabilities. These efforts are envisioned to be Type II efforts as defined in Section 2.2 of BAA HSHQDC-16-R-B0004 with a 24 month period of performance. The goal is to achieve a significantly enhanced capability to robustly detect explosive threats, reduce primary baggage screening false alarm rates on all explosive threat classes, and increase passenger baggage screening throughput under real life operating conditions. The EDMs developed under this TTA will be demonstrated and tested at a government test facility (such as the TSL) under operationally realistic Stream of Commerce (SOC) screening conditions. All parties that have advanced X-ray system concepts meeting the maturity level of this TTA are encouraged to propose regardless of whether they participated in BAA-13-05 or not. The advanced technologies listed below are representative only of technologies in which EXD has made investments in the past: a. Multi-Energy Transmission X-ray Imaging b. Coded Aperture X-ray Imaging c. X-ray Diffraction Imaging d. Compton Scatter Imaging e. Phase Contrast Imaging The above technologies are provided to help interested offerors understand potential program technical areas but are not meant to be inclusive for this BAA Call.

Under EXD BAA-13-05 several advanced reconstruction and automated threat recognition (ATR) algorithm methodologies were explored and assessed for their feasibility and effectiveness to enhance the detection of explosives threats in checked and carry-on baggage screening. In this TTA, S&T is seeking to continue exploration and development of advanced reconstruction and ATR algorithm technologies for checked and carry-on baggage. A primary interest is in enhancing detection capabilities to cover a broader range of threat detection classes, significantly reduce primary screening false alarms and detect threats at TSA Tier levels higher than 2. This includes explosive and prohibited items that are listed for checked or carry-on baggage. The efforts proposed under this TTA section must demonstrate that the technique can rapidly reach TRL 6-7 maturity to enhance explosive threat detection capabilities in passenger baggage screening X-ray equipment within the Type II 24 month time frame. Algorithms should have the capability to adjust parameters affecting probability of false alarm, probability of detection, and screening speed in order to optimize the screening capability to passenger risk and the general threat environment.

Baggage screening X-ray equipment system performance is highly dependent upon the availability of mature X-ray component technologies (such as X-ray sources and detectors) used to acquire X-ray information from the stream-of-commerce objects. This TTA is focused on the development/maturation of X-ray system components that are necessary to evolve laboratory and experimental prototypes into full-up X-ray system designs able to meet the Advanced X-ray Systems requirements. In previous advanced material discrimination R&D efforts many compromises were required in the feasibility and effectiveness evaluation of advanced techniques due to the lack of adequately mature components to support the design concepts. A prime example was assessing the utility of multi-energy imaging in improving detection and reducing false alarms in EDS and Advanced Technology (AT) 2 systems. While multi-energy detector arrays for small scale laboratory use were available, the maturity of arrays with sizes and form factors (i.e. 3 side abuttable to form large arrays), resolution, linearity, dynamic range, uniformity, photon counting rate, and sensitivity to support many of the advance material discrimination design concepts were not available. This TTA seeks to address these issues by focusing efforts to mature non-Commercial Off the Shelf (COTS) "long- lead" device technology, whose performance and enhanced characteristics are necessary to enable development of advanced X-ray baggage screening systems, such as those under TTA #1, to a TRL 6-7 maturity of systems development. These efforts are envisioned to be predominantly Type II efforts as defined in Section 2.2 of BAA HSHQDC-16-R-B0004 with a maximum 24 month period of performance. DHS S&T will also consider development of near COTS devices that have clear immediate benefit to X-ray screening systems that are supportable by strong technical analytical rationale with an accompanying business case. These efforts are envisioned to be Type III, as defined in Section 2.2 of BAA HSHQDC-16-R-B0004 with a maximum 12 months period of performance.