American Science and Engineering, Inc. Awarded IDIQ Contract from TSA For SmartCheck Personnel Screening System.

IDIQ Contract is valued up to $10.8 Million and Provides for the Purchase of Up to 80 SmartCheck Personnel Screening Systems; Initial Funding for Leased Systems Received

BILLERICA, Mass. -- American Science and Engineering, Inc. (AS&E([R])) (NASDAQ: ASEI), a leader in X-ray detection technology, announced today it has been awarded an Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) for its SmartCheck([TM]) personnel screening system. With a maximum value of $10.8 million, the first phase of the IDIQ has been funded for the lease of five (5) SmartCheck Personnel Screening Systems with an option to purchase. The IDIQ contract also provides TSA with an option to purchase an additional seventy-five (75) SmartCheck systems over the next two years. The IDIQ contract includes warranty, service and training.

"We are extremely proud to assist the TSA with their mission to safeguard air travel," said Anthony Fabiano, President and CEO. "This IDIQ offers TSA the ability to deploy our SmartCheck personnel screening system on a broad basis for use as a safe and effective tool for aviation threat detection. SmartCheck provides the most comprehensive personnel screening technology available for detecting a broad range of potential threat items while ensuring the privacy of the traveling public. We look forward to our continued work with the TSA on this critical mission."

About SmartCheck

SmartCheck is a safe, non-intrusive personnel screening system that allows operators to detect threats and contraband hidden on a person while ensuring privacy. AS&E's patented Z([R]) Backscatter([TM]) X-ray technology displays both organic and inorganic materials, revealing objects such as guns and knives, explosives, composite weapons, and other hidden threats and contraband. The software provides a sketch outline of the passenger with information for the security operator to identify the nature and location of threats, thus eliminating the need for intrusive and time-consuming pat-down searches. For added privacy, the system is not capable of storing, exporting, printing, or transmitting images. All images are automatically deleted from the system immediately after they are reviewed by the operator who is located in a remote, secure area away from the screening process.

About SmartCheck's Z Backscatter X-Ray Technology

Z Backscatter X-ray technology displays threats by reflecting a low-energy X-ray beam from a person to a detector on the near side. AS&E's SmartCheck system utilizes this patented technology based on the X-ray Compton Scattering effect. The system is able to display organic and metallic threats and contraband concealed on a person's body.

Safe for All Screened Individuals and Operators

Since the SmartCheck system uses Z Backscatter X-ray technology, it is safe for both operators and scanned individuals, with the radiation dose from a single scan equivalent to the radiation received from two minutes of airplane flight at altitude, or less than 10 microrem (0.1 microsieverts) per scan. SmartCheck meets the manufacturer's requirements of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard N43.17, which is the standard that the Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) references for systems such as SmartCheck. For more information on SmartCheck personnel screening system and privacy, please visit www.as-e.com and www.tsa.gov.

About AS&E([R])

American Science and Engineering, Inc. (AS&E) is the leading worldwide supplier of innovative X-ray inspection systems. With over 45 years of experience in developing advanced X-ray security systems, the Company's product line utilizes a combination of technologies, including patented Z Backscatter technology, Radioactive Threat Detection (RTD), high energy transmission and dual energy transmission X-ray. These technologies offer superior X-ray threat detection for plastic explosives, plastic weapons, liquid explosives, dirty bombs and nuclear devices. AS&E's complete range of products include cargo inspection systems for port and border security, baggage screening systems for facility and aviation security, and personnel and passenger screening systems. AS&E systems protect high-threat facilities and help combat terrorism and trade fraud, drug smuggling, weapon smuggling, and illegal immigration and people smuggling. AS&E customers include leading government agencies, border authorities, military bases, airports and corporations worldwide, including the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Royal Thai Police, HM Revenue & Customs (U.K.) and Hong Kong Customs. For more information on AS&E products and technologies, please visit www.as-e.com.

Safe Harbor Statement. The foregoing press release contains statements concerning AS&E's financial performance, markets and business operations that may be considered "forward-looking" under applicable securities laws. AS&E wishes to caution readers of this press release that actual results might differ materially from those projected in any forward-looking statements. Factors which might cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements contained herein include the following: significant reductions or delays in procurements of the Company's systems by the United States and other governments; disruption in the supply of any source component incorporated into AS&E's products; litigation seeking to restrict the use of intellectual property used by the Company; potential product liability claims against the Company; global political trends and events which affect public perception of the threat presented by drugs, explosives and other contraband; global economic developments and the ability of governments and private organizations to fund purchases of the Company's products to address such threats; and the potential insufficiency of Company resources, including human resources, capital, plant and equipment and management systems, to accommodate any future growth, and future delays in federal funding. These and certain other factors which might cause actual results to differ materially from those projected are detailed from time to time in AS&E's periodic reports and registration statements filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which important factors are incorporated herein by reference. AS&E undertakes no obligation to update forward looking statements to reflect changed assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events, or changes in future operating results, financial condition or business over time.