Handheld X-Ray Backscatter Technology
Abstract
As part of the Coast Guards drug interdiction missions, boarding teams are required to search suspicious vessels for hidden drugs and contraband. The boarding officers and their teams are in a constant battle against drug smugglers who find creative new ways to hide drugs. X-ray technology has been successfully employed at land-based border crossings for years but the large machinery and cumbersome design of traditional x-ray imagers precluded its application for ship-based boarding crews. Boarding teams currently rely on: ion scanners that analyze a sample of air for traces of various substances; borescopes (tiny cameras on flexible rods which are inserted into a small hole created by the boarding officer); and their own instinct and experience.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 2020
- Accession Number
- AD1203678