Transportation officials see tech innovations as essential
Top transportation officials on Tuesday told aviation executives the federal government needs innovative technology to bolster security.
"Aviation research is something we can't do alone," Marion Blakey, who oversees the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), said during a speech at an air and space symposium sponsored by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. She told executives about the FAA's partnership with universities and colleges to research new technologies for addressing issues like aircraft noise, metrics and security.
Blakey said the FAA would like to award a contract for a minimum of $2 million over three years to an academic institution in order to develop sensors that detect hazardous air pathogens in aircraft. The agency currently works with six "centers of excellence," allocating more than $150 million overall for various projects, she said.
The administrator also said an interagency group -- which includes the FAA, Homeland Security Department, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, among others -- is drafting a national aviation plan for the next 20 years. The plan would include using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for the shipping industry and breaking down technical and financial barriers in aviation and other items.
Stephen McHale, deputy administrator for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), added that the country "can't deliver security the way we do today." He said the aviation plan would consider more efficient technology with higher security.
McHale also said TSA needs advanced equipment for protecting transportation infrastructure.
He said current equipment for screening cargo and passengers is bulky, heavy and slow, and he called for companies to invent lighter, smaller and faster technology to increase efficiency while bolstering security.
McHale also mentioned the work of Homeland Security's science and technology division to research and develop biological sensors for mass transit systems and other infrastructure. Under President Bush's fiscal 2005 budget proposal, TSA would receive $49 million for R&D efforts and $50 million for advanced explosive-detection systems.
In previous congressional testimony, McHale has said restricted space at airports challenge TSA's efforts to deploy new products. On Tuesday he said the confined space demands smaller and lighter technology.
Executives participating in the AIAA conference plan to meet with House and Senate lawmakers all day Wednesday to outline industry's priorities for this year.
Armed with talking points from the AIAA, the executives have six specific issues: funds for basic R&D at the Defense Department; clear guidelines for utilizing UAVs for homeland security and aviation security; an integrated space transportation plan; a bill to revitalize aeronautics R&D; support for the administration's national aviation plan; and funding for a government-wide program to encourage students to pursue careers in math, science and engineering.