Port of Charleston Debuts New Port Security Inspection System to Protect Against Terrorist Attacks

Customs and Border Protection to Operate AS&E's OmniView High Energy Cargo Inspection System

(Charleston, S.C., September 21, 2007) -- American Science and Engineering, Inc. (NASDAQ: ASEI) (AS&E(R)), the leader in X-ray detection technology, and The National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center-South East (NLECTC-SE) a program of the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), administered by SCRA, will be debuting a new port security cargo screening system deployed by Project Seahawk for use at the Port of Charleston's U.S. Customs and Border Protection Container Examination Station. NLECTC-SE has been working with AS&E to deliver and deploy AS&E's OmniView(TM) Gantry X-ray Inspection system. The system is able to penetrate up to 14 inches of steel, thereby providing port officials a comprehensive and safe means to inspect cargo containers for terrorist threats. The system will be transferred from NLECTC-SE to Project Seahawk and will be operated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. This effort was funded through a grant from the Office of Justice Programs' National Institute of Justice.

The Port of Charleston, one of the largest container ports in the United States, is home to Project Seahawk, a Law Enforcement Task Force that brings together federal, state and local agencies to improve port security, and serves as a model for ports around the Nation. "This further enhances the Port of Charleston's aggressive security posture," said Bernard S. Groseclose Jr., president & CEO of the South Carolina State Ports Authority. "It is vital that increased security be balanced with the smooth flow of commerce. This new unit will help do that."

"With the war on terrorism and a stronger emphasis on homeland security, it is widely recognized that the Nation's seaports are subject to a variety of threats, from importing weapons and other hazardous substances to illegal immigrants, and constitute a major target for terrorist activity," said Congressman Henry Brown, co-chair of the Congressional Port Security Caucus and co-sponsor of the recently passed SAFE Port Act. "By using advanced screening systems like OmniView, we will work to keep our seaports safe by deterring attacks before they occur." Congressman Brown, along with Senator Graham and other legislators support the use of this technology at ports and continue to support efforts to add additional technology capability to make ports more secure.

"The relocatable OmniView Gantry is an ideal solution to secure our Nation's ports," said Anthony Fabiano, AS&E's President and CEO. "AS&E is working closely with the Port of Charleston to provide state-of-the-art technology to efficiently inspect containerized cargo."

"As an applied research and commercialization company which builds teams that create technology solutions, and as systems engineering and information prime for Project Seahawk, SCRA is pleased to team with NLECTC, AS&E, the Port of Charleston, and our Government partners to bring a new inspection application into the field," said Bill Mahoney, SCRA CEO.

Source : American Science and Engineering Inc.

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