Smiths Detection is a world leader in products and systems to detect and identify threats to our freedom, safeguarding society against terrorism and criminality and protecting our emergency responders and armed forces.

Its technologies detect chemical and biological warfare agents, explosives and narcotics, including powerful X-ray imaging technologies to identify weapons and illegal goods.

The company is truly global with Research and Development in six countries and systems deployed from Alaska to New Zealand. These factors make Smiths Detection the perfect industry partner for governments in advancing technology to defeat the terrorist threat.

Smiths Detection takes science out of the laboratory and puts it in the hands of security professionals. Its technologies are built into products that safeguard those in the front line and the public at large; protecting buildings and transport systems; screening everything from a ticket to a truck.

The products and systems are designed for the real world and are based on a deep understanding of the real operational environment faced by security and military professionals. An increasing activity for Smiths Detection is taking individual products and integrating them to form complete security solutions, including networking, customised to individual requirements.

Among the major users of Smiths Detection equipment are armed forces and public service workers who need protection against the growing threat of chemical and biological agents; security professionals who ensure our safety on board aircraft or in public places; police forces and customs officers combating a rising tide of illicit narcotics; and the emergency services who are confronted with unknown threats every time they attend an incident.

Some 120,000 chemical agent detectors have been supplied to international governments, principally for use in protecting military forces.

Smiths Detection has long been committed to eliminating threats at airports and on board aircraft, and provides security solutions for mass-transit systems and passenger terminals across the world. More than 60,000 x-ray systems have been sold worldwide and over 5,000 trace detectors for explosives are deployed in U.S. airports alone.

Smiths Detection systems provide similar levels of security in government buildings, public facilities, vital utilities and high-profile sporting events.

For customs and border protection Smiths Detection offers complete x-ray systems for cargo inspection that scan single parcels or fully loaded freight containers.

Smiths Detection is one of five operating divisions of Smiths Group, a global technology company listed on the London Stock Exchange. Smiths employs more
than 22,000 people in over 50 countries.

Main product groups

X-ray security scanners

X-ray scanner technology is a central field of expertise within Smiths Detection. X-ray inspection equipment plays an integral part in scanning for explosives, weapons, narcotics and contraband such as cigarettes and alcohol in baggage, mail and freight. The wide range of equipment enables aviation security authorities, police professionals, customs experts and other private industry customers to optimise security measures, non-intrusively.

Chemical Agent Detection

For military forces, the threat of chemical weapons has existed for decades and can radically affect operations, particularly on land and sea. That threat is increasingly spreading to the civilian population. The ability to detect an attack by chemical agents or toxic industrial chemicals (TICs), rapidly, is therefore vital to protect those in the front line and the public at large. Smiths Detection is acknowledged as a global leader in chemical agent detection, offering individual products and fully integrated systems with highly sensitive detection capabilities that are reliable, accurate and easy to use.

Chemical Identification Equipment

When called to deal with a potentially toxic incident, emergency response teams they have to know what they are facing. Smiths Detection equips them with the most advanced technology, to face potential threats from unknown substances, with confidence. Chemical identification equipment from Smiths Detection is trusted by emergency responders, HAZMAT teams, law enforcement, and federal & local government agencies around the world, putting laboratory power that requires minimal training into the hands of emergency responders.

Explosives Trace Detection

Trace detection products from Smiths Detection are designed to detect the deadly threat from explosive substances, through the rapid analysis (in around 8 seconds) of samples taken on swabs. Hand-held and table top equipment analyses trace particles on baggage or clothing and the Sentinel walk-through portal screens people.

Biological agent detection

Protection of troops against attack by biological warfare agents has long been a focus for Smiths Detection, which has developed advanced bio detection suites for biological agent detection and now acts as systems integrators on major programmes, to defeat bioterrorism. As the threat target has widened to the general public, the technology has been adapted and simplified to create field deployable instruments that offer laboratory standard identification of bio agents, on-the-spot, with minimum delay.