Systems Engineering

GST provides systems engineering, design review, development specification, modeling/simulation, configuration management, and logistics support under our Professional Engineering and Logistic Support Services contract with TSA. This supports six divisions of the TSA’s Office of Security Capabilities in management, deployment, and improvement of baggage, passenger, and cargo security screening systems.

GST System Design projects included complete scrutiny, incorporation and planning of the organizational and emergency communication systems for Philadelphia’s two airports. GST has also proposed airport technology innovations such as Automated Taxiway Lighting and Automated Surface Traffic Control.

We have identified and performed assessments of emerging security screening technologies. We have reviewed and evaluated technical proposals of emerging technologies and provided comprehensive analyses and recommendations as to the accuracy and technical soundness of the proposals. We have assisted the TSA with technical reviews of Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) proposals with regards to technical feasibility, application to TSA screening systems, and compliance with requirements.

GST's recent contributions have been in the testing, improvement, and deployment of Computed Tomography (CT) technology to security checkpoints. We support the planning and conduct of Innovation Task Force (ITF) technology demonstrations, develop test plans, and conduct data collection, data analysis, and reporting.

Test & Evaluation (T&E)

Test & Evaluation (T&E) is one of GST’s core competencies and most diversified technical areas. GST supports all aspects of testing; from Master Test Plans through developmental, operational, and certification testing of new systems; to verification and validation of work done by other contractors. Since 1993, we have supported Test & Evaluation for all security equipment deployed by the TSA, including Explosives Trace Detection equipment, threat image projection, bottle screening systems, metal detector portals, and Advanced Technology equipment

GST produces various commercial, military and homemade explosive simulants for DHS and other governmental agencies. These simulants are safe, inert material, but when examined by an explosive detection system, they mimic the properties of the real explosive.

GST provides Human Factors Engineering support for TSA's Human Performance Branch as they develop policies and equipment that are useful, usable, and safe. Our team consists of human factors engineers, experimental psychologists, and cognitive scientists with advanced or terminal degrees in their field. GST's Human Factors Engineers are a team with end-to-end research capabilities including developing use cases, determining workflow, creating experimental design, study development/coding, data collection, advanced statistics, and report development.

We integrate human factors expertise into each product development process, generating human-centered design in a controlled approach, which directly feeds and integrates with systems engineering development tracks. GST HFE support also includes internal Tiger Team initiatives, ad hoc requests from internal and external divisions and components, assessment of bounding box effectiveness, usability testing, and passenger experience data collection and assessment.

Configuration Management

GST provides life cycle logistic support and hardware/software configuration management planning and control for all the various TSA’s security technology equipment positioned at the airports and transportation centers. We also provide configuration management of TSA-approved, privately-owned cargo screening systems.

GST provides Configuration Control Board (CCB) Support, performing technical reviews of all engineering change proposals (ECPs), requests for deviations (RFDs), all developmental engineering proposals (DEPs), requests for waivers (RFWs), and checkpoint, checked baggage, and developmental change requests (CRs).

At the DHS Transportation Security Laboratory GST manages the Lab’s ISO 17025 and ISO 9001 certification support and provides meticulously documented and controlled specification and configuration management for any equipment, system, or device undergoing IT&E or DT&E.

Integrated Logistic Support (ILS)

GST provides comprehensive integrated logistics support services including acquisition logistics, sustainment logistics, logistics planning, and life cycle support services for all the various TSA’s security technology equipment positioned at the airports and transportation centers and has reviewed hundreds of configuration change requests for our ILS Branch clients.

GST Logistics Engineering support to TSA’s ILS Branch includes participating on Integrated Product Teams to continually refine knowledge of developments in screening technology and TSA’s acquisition process. From the Checkpoint Property Screening Program (CPSS) ILSP forward, our team updated language to explicitly support TSA’s change to Reliability as a primary measure of Reliability, Maintainability, and Availability (RMA) during the qualification testing, Analyze/Select and Operation & Support phases of the acquisition lifecycle.

GST provides logistics services designed to optimize equipment and system readiness throughout their service life cycle at the lowest possible life cycle cost. With an emphasis on maintaining operational readiness and supporting the modernization of equipment, our services comply with government and military directives and established industry standards.

Baggage Handling Systems (BHS)

GST has a triple role in support of TSAs management of Baggage & Passenger screening.

GST provides field technical support to the deployed EDS technologies, solves problems, develops DHS Acquisition Directive 102 artifacts; and completes studies to evaluate potential solutions.

GST also supports the TSA Planning Guidelines and Design Standards (PGDS) working group for Checked Baggage Inspection Systems (CBIS), incorporating approved comments into updated PGDS drafts, and facilitating publication of updated versions. GST facilitates and leads multiple PGDS follow-on studies each year to further inform potential updates to the PGDS.

This experience gives us a “real world” understanding of CBIS, Baggage Handling Systems (BHS), and airport operations upon which GST builds TSA simulation analyses that address the specific requirements of CBIS designs at US airports to support design, development and recapitalization. Our team has developed simulation models for hundreds of airports since 9/11.

GST provides cost validations and multi-stage Design Review Support for the review and processing of new/upgraded Baggage Handling System (BHS) designs submitted to TSA for approval. GST maintains a detailed database that tracks milestones and status of every design review distributed weekly to TSA.

GST provides National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) 800 Series Risk Management Framework based security authorization and assessment (SAA), cyber security and system/application cyber security architecture technical and management support for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Office of Acquisition & Program Management (OAPM). Our support includes:

• Performing SAA tasks in accordance with NIST Risk Management Framework.
• Conducting security vulnerability assessments.
• Validating security posture compliance of Unix/Unix variant and Microsoft COTS operating systems (Windows 10, Server 2012/Server 2016).
• Testing/validating classified threat identification/matching algorithms.
• Providing cyber security maturity model framework for explosive trace and explosive detection systems in addition to security architecture support.
• Developing, documenting, and testing cloud security controls and system/application migration requirements.

Explosive Simulants & Test Articles

At the DHS Transportation Security Laboratory (TSL), GST produces explosive simulants and precision standards to ensure consistent results in developmental and certification testing of new explosive detection equipment.

GST also produces a wide variety of test articles to test detection systems’ effectiveness on a wide variety of shapes and materials.

Capabilities include:

• AT and CT GUI development
• Redesigns of OPS interfaces
• Reviews of TSO training and skill transfer
• Visual search
• Trust in Automation
• Human performance in facial recognition
• Measuring policy effectiveness
• Program evaluation and monitoring methods
• Measuring policy effectiveness