L-3 Communications (NYSE: LLL) announced that its Security and Detection Systems subsidiary has been selected by the Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency (HSARPA) to provide 30 prototype cargo container security devices for field testing.

L-3 is one of two companies down selected from an original five to receive Phase II funding from HSARPA for the development of the cargo container security devices. The cost-share program uses government and corporate funding valued at over $5 million.

L-3's Advanced Container Security Device (ACSD) will continually track the sequence of a cargo container's journey from the moment it is sealed until it is released at its final destination. Designed to automatically identify tampering at any point in the container's passage, ACSD will detect breaches and unauthorized access, alerting authorities to potential threats of national security, contraband smuggling, theft, human trafficking and stowaways.

Using advanced sensor design and fusion techniques, ACSD provides a true depiction of a container's condition at every step in the supply chain, in real-time, through a communications network that will make data available to shippers, carriers and law enforcement. In addition to monitoring the container's physical status, ACSD will indicate any breach of the container through walls, doors or floors, and detect the presence of human beings inside the container, which can give officials an early warning of potential cargo theft, product tampering, or the presence of contraband, or explosives and other threat materials.

"L-3's ACSD solution provides security officials with invaluable information throughout the movement of the supply chain, and give them meaningful, real-time data they need to stop smugglers, thieves, and other threats, while keeping commerce moving swiftly and safely," said Craig P. Coy, president and chief operating officer of L-3's Homeland Security Group.

Additionally, the unit's space-saving design does not consume valuable cargo space. Created to withstand the rigors of maritime shipping, L-3's ACSD will resist shock, vibration, temperature, humidity, corrosion, stress and strain. Fully modular and scalable, ACSD will be easily incorporated into standard port operations and is designed to be affordable for the maritime shipping industry.

"Our goal is to make cargo transport safer and more secure than ever and we are well under way in the development of a device that is compatible with existing and new containers and that can be easily implemented at ports anywhere in the world," noted Mr. Coy. "In emphasizing user-friendliness and flexibility, we are making this novel technology accessible and convenient to implement. In addition to strengthening supply chain security at ports, this integrated technology will naturally lend itself to other multi-modal transportation applications including air cargo, rail and trucking."