Chapter 5

Question 1

What is the value of Smart Containers?

Answer 1

• Protect the homeland

- make a profit (in terms of the business)

Question 2

definition of a smart container

Answer 2

• carry on a conversation
• user can communicate with them in real time or near real-time
• can be programmed to do anything from report location and chain of custody

Question 3

What can be detected and reported besides location?

Answer 3

• theft
• contamination
• container being a host for a WMD
• internal container environment
• breaches, chemical agents

Question 4

What can a smart container not detect?

Answer 4

-shielded enriched uranium with nonintrusive devices

Question 5

When does smart start and stop?

Answer 5

• once the container is sealed, an electronic protocol is initiated in the electronic memory of the container
• information can be read at any time via satellite
• someone has to take responsibility at destination

Question 6

How do smart containers transmit what they detect?

Answer 6

• RFID technology
• Satellite Communication
• Cellular Communication

Question 7

Problems with RFID

Answer 7

• lack of frequency standard worldwide
• equipment variances
• protocols differ
• RFID from others can interfere

Question 8

RFID Timeliness

Answer 8

• requires chokepoints

- if something happened between chokepoints, you wouldn’t know until the next chokepoint

Question 9

RFID features

Answer 9

-can be utilized for light, vibration, temperature

Question 10

RFID risks

Answer 10

-can be utilized to detonate an explosive device

Question 11

Two categories of Satellites

Answer 11

• Geostationary (GEO)

- Low earth orbit (LEO)

Question 12

Geostationary Satellite

Answer 12

• orbit the earth to appear stationary

- 23,000 miles above Earth

Question 13

Low Earth orbit

Answer 13

• 500 miles above earth
• do not rotate with earth
• allows inexpensive, narrow band frequencies

Question 14

Weaknesses to using Satellite

Answer 14

• dead spots

- visible antenna (others would be able to communicate with container)

Question 15

Cellular Communication

Answer 15

• aka GSM (global system for mobile communications)

- different channels used worldwide

Question 16

Weaknesses to using cellular communication

Answer 16

• government issues with band usage

- not much progress due to issues

Question 17

What type of seal is the most commonly used?

Answer 17

the bolt seal

Question 18

What are the steps in the CTPAT Container Inspection

Answer 18

1. look for unusual things (little doors)
2. look in small nooks and crannies for narcotics (the 5th wheel, under the container, in the tires)
3. verifying the locking mechanisms
4. the inside of the bolts, paint marks, signs of glue
5. inside of the doors, not normal compartments
6. tap the walls and the roof, should hear a hollow sound, if gets a thud, might be contrabands
7. use a range finder to see the length of the inside of the container to find possible hidden compartments
8. verify the bolts of the floor

Question 19

tools used in inspection

Answer 19

• mirrors with flashlights
• range finder
• density finder
• fiber optics
• rope
• radiation monitor
• rid (what type of radiation)