Coast Guard adapts Fido threat detection

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6 (UPI) -- The U.S. Coast Guard announced it has adapted ICx Technologies' Fido explosives detector for wide-area harsh maritime environments.

ICx is a developer of sensor technologies for threat detection in the homeland security and defense markets. Officials say the company's Fido detector has been adapted by the U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety and Security Team for maritime explosives detection.

The new MSST adapted Fido will be called the Fido Scout. Officials say Fido Scout is an enhanced version of ICx's handheld explosive detector Fido-XT and includes easy operability along with a ruggedized exterior for maritime environments with submersion capabilities.

"Achieving this gold standard of detection in a package that meets the demanding requirements of the MSST represents a significant milestone for the Fido Scout," Matthew Dock, ICx explosives detection unit senior systems engineer, said in a statement.

"ICx developed Fido Scout under the Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency Rapid Technology Application Program. This program was launched in 2005 to meet the rapid technology-development needs of emergency responders, and ICx was awarded a $2 million contract in November 2006 to develop an explosive-trace-detection solution for the MSST," the release said.