American Science and Engineering, Inc. Receives U.S. DoD Contract for Z Portal Cargo and Vehicle Screening System.

Multi-View, High-Throughput, Drive-Through Screening System Purchased for Strategic Facility Checkpoint

BILLERICA, Mass. -- American Science and Engineering, Inc. (NASDAQ: ASEI) (AS&E([R])), a worldwide leader in X-ray detection technology, announced today the receipt of a contract from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) for its second generation Z Portal([TM]) system for drive-through cargo and vehicle screening. Configured with proprietary three-sided Z([R]) Backscatter([TM]) imaging, the Z Portal will be deployed at a security checkpoint to inspect for threats and contraband at a strategic DoD facility.

"We are pleased to work with the DoD to provide them with their first Z Portal system," said Anthony Fabiano, President and CEO. "With broad applications for military facility and force protection, Z Portal offers the safest and most effective high-throughput drive-through screening system to detect threats and contraband in cargo and vehicles. The Z Portal can safely scan vehicles and cargo in real-time, resulting in rapid screening and threat analysis. The system's proprietary Z Backscatter technology produces photo-like images from three sides of the cargo -- left, right, and top-down -- to provide the DoD with maximum inspection capability to secure this vital checkpoint."

Multi-View, High-throughput, Drive-through Detection Capability

AS&E's Z Portal[TM] is a multi-view, drive-through inspection system capable of scanning cars, vans, trucks, and their cargo for concealed threats and contraband such as, explosives, drugs, stowaways, and alcohol. With its compact profile, the Z Portal system is ideal for high-traffic locations with space constraints and a high-throughput requirement. The Z Portal system is safe for drivers, operators, cargo, and the environment. The relocatable screening system is available in two sizes -- one for large trucks, buses, and cargo vehicles, and a smaller size for passenger vehicles. The Z Portal screening system ranges in price from $1.2 million to $1.8 million based upon the client's custom configuration requirements.

AS&E's Patented Technology: Z Backscatter X-Rays

The Z Portal employs AS&E's patented Z Backscatter technology, which produces photo-like images of the contents of a container or vehicle, highlighting organic materials. Based on the X-ray Compton Scattering effect, Z Backscatter technology works by detecting and highlighting "low Z" materials (items that contain low atomic number elements such as carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen). AS&E creates Z Backscatter images showing organic materials by directing a sweeping beam of X-rays at the object under examination, and then measuring and plotting the intensity of scattered X-rays as a function of the beam position. Z Backscatter technology -- only available from AS&E -- reveals the threats that competitive systems miss, including explosives, plastic weapons, and drugs.

About AS&E([R])

American Science and Engineering, Inc. (AS&E) is the leading worldwide supplier of innovative X-ray inspection and screening systems. With more than 45 years of experience in developing advanced X-ray security systems, the Company's product line utilizes a variety of technologies, including patented Z([R]) Backscatter([TM]), Shaped Energy([TM]) and Radioactive Threat Detection (RTD). These technologies offer superior detection of threats including plastic explosives, plastic weapons, illegal drugs, other contraband, dirty bombs and nuclear devices. AS&E offers a complete range of X-ray inspection products including Z([R]) Backscatter screening systems, CargoSearch([TM]), and ParcelSearch([TM]) inspection systems, used for critical detection and security applications to combat terrorism, drug and weapon smuggling, trade fraud, and illegal immigration. AS&E customers include leading governmental agencies, border authorities, military bases, airports and corporations worldwide, including the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, NATO, Royal Thai Police, HM Revenue & Customs (UK) 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.