Boeing, Siemens Get Security Contract

Boeing Co. and Siemens’ U.S. unit won a government contract valued at $508 million to install, maintain and train operators for explosive-detection machines in U.S. airports.

The team beat out Lockheed Martin Corp., Raytheon Co. and TRW Inc. for the contract. Lockheed Martin received a $350-million contract to carry out a plan to replace private security workers with government employees at 429 airports.

The award gives Boeing and Siemens responsibility for helping the government fulfill a congressional mandate to begin screening all 1 billion bags checked on airplanes annually by the end of the year. The contracts give Boeing, Siemens and Lockheed Martin footholds in the U.S. homeland security business.