Under the contract, which has been let by the Belgium Ministry of Finance, Arktis and partner Bavak - Arktis’ exclusive distributor for the Benelux Region - will supply the port with radiation detection equipment for the largest capacity container terminal in Europe, located at the Left Bank in the Port of Antwerp.
The Port of Antwerp is a leader in the use of detection systems with a throughput of over 9.6 million seagoing twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU’s) per year, making it the second largest port in Europe. The port has played a vital role in world trade since the middle-ages. Cargo find their way to the port not only by barge or vessel but also by road, rail and even pipeline. The systems supplied by Arktis and Bavak will be operated by Belgian Customs to monitor the import and export of goods through the port and to identify any suspicious or hazardous materials. Arktis’ FLASH Radiation Portal Monitors can achieve this while having only a very minimal impact on the flow of traffic.
In addition to supplying the new radiation portal monitors, Arktis has also provided two MODES_SNM Mobile Radiation Detection Systems. Bavak, who are responsible for the equipment’s integration, will provide ongoing technical support and maintenance throughout the contract.
Rico Chandra, CEO of Arktis Radiation Detection Systems said “I am delighted that we have been able to partner with Bavak on this important project. Bavak have a long history of working with Belgian customs. Together we look forward to supplying our customer with systems that will play a key role helping to secure the port and therefore the world’s wider shipping network from the movement of dangerous cargo and nuclear materials.”
Arktis' radiation detection technology was partially developed with funding from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) under its SIGMA program, which aims to “revolutionize detection and deterrent capabilities for countering nuclear terrorism.”
About the Bavak Security Group
Bavak Security Group, a Dutch technology company with more than 40 years of experience in providing total security solutions. Bavak has, in addition to its Dutch main office, support offices in the United Kingdom and the United States of America.
Bavak consists of the following specialized areas; Parking & Access Control, Physical Security, Security Management Systems, Explosives Detection Systems, Service & Maintenance as well as Consultancy & Training services.
Bavak has realized projects all over the world for Government buildings, Sea & Airports, Banks, Defence projects, Railway companies, Embassies, Multinationals, Courthouses, Prisons and other Critical infrastructures.
About DARPA
For more than fifty years, The Defense Advance Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has held to a singular and enduring mission: to make pivotal investments in breakthrough technologies for national security.
The genesis of that mission and of DARPA itself dates to the launch of Sputnik in 1957, and a commitment by the United States that, from that time forward, it would be the initiator and not the victim of strategic technological surprises.
Working with innovators inside and outside of government, DARPA has repeatedly delivered on that mission, transforming revolutionary concepts into reality while tackling some of the greatest technical challenges known to man. As a result, the agency can be credited for many icons of modern civilian society including the Internet, automated voice recognition and language translation, and Global Positioning System receivers small enough to embed in a myriad consumer devices.
DARPA explicitly reaches for transformational change instead of incremental advances. But it does not perform its engineering alchemy in isolation. Leveraging an innovation ecosystem that includes academic, corporate and governmental partners, DARPA is able to take advantage of special statutory hiring authorities and alternative contracting vehicles that allow the Agency to take quick advantage of opportunities to advance its mission.