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PARIS - The Boeing Company has been awarded a $4.2 million contract to develop a pilot cargo security system for containerized cargo entering the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.

The contract was announced at the recent Paris Air Show and falls under the auspices of Operation Safe Commerce, a Department of Homeland Security initiative aimed at improving security of cargo entering and departing ports in the US. 

The pilot program's objective is to accelerate development and deployment of emerging technology to monitor the movement and ensure the integrity of containers through the entire supply chain, according to a Boeing spokesman.

Boeing will form a team of vendors to complete the contract, the spokesman said.

The team will include ADT Security Services Inc. of Boca Raton, Fla., a developer of security technology, systems and services for industry and governments; New York-based Global Marine Security Systems Co.; a provider of global maritime security, transportation and logistics services; Arlington, Virginia-headquartered Iridium Satellite LLC, a provider of global satellite wireless communications services; and Parsons Commercial Technology Group, Inc. of Charlotte, North Carolina, an international large-scale project planning, engineering and construction company.

The proposed system will integrate real-time, in-transit container information with existing and future networks and databases. This will allow for threat detection and mitigation for government users and provide enhanced supply chain visibility for private enterprise.

"Supply chain security will be enhanced by strategically applying improved processes and commercially available technologies to increase system efficiency and deliver significant reductions in supply chain losses," the spokesman for the St. Louis-based company said.

"The ability to monitor the movement of cargo in transit will significantly reduce security vulnerability, as well as cargo losses," he said.

"Improved visibility and integrity will greatly enhance the performance of supply chain management systems via real-time information access and flow between supply chain participants," he said, adding that increased supply chain visibility will enable improvements in efficiency, such as enhanced inventory and asset management, and content assurance during all modes of transport.

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