Aviation Security

3D Printed Firearms - A New Threat to Aviation?

3D printing is a great invention that had gained rhythm over recent years. Printing parts are easy to get and with some simple knowledge on computer-aided drawings, 3D printers can print just about anything the user wishes, if the settings are done correctly. The threat that I would like to talk about for this discussion is the recent use of 3D printed weapons. Weapons like knives and guns were previously easily detected by metal detectors but since the current 3D printing technology which more commonly uses plastic, 3D printed weapons can easily slip past a few layers of airport security. 3D printed weapons pose a threat to the aviation industry as they can be easily taken apart and may not look like weapons at first glance. They would also slip past machine operated detectors yet passing through another layer of security. Although there are many layers of security, when the layers are thinned, there are lesser layers to work as an active back up and prevent the threat from reaching its goal.

 

Figure 1. A 3D Printed firearm posted on TSA's Instagram account.

I think that all the layers of TSA security are responsible for mitigating this threat. For example, intelligence can find out members of the public who have been studying flight capacity and downloading or creating 3D firearm blueprints. However, I think that the layers that require additional attention and improvement would be those related to checkpoint and baggage. As the main concern would be that 3D weapons are becoming an undetectable threat, reinforcing layers like Checkpoint/Transportation Security Officers and Checked Baggage would be best.

Additionally, a recommendation I think would improve airport security against the threat would be to improve training and machined detectors for the officers working at the airport. While there are currently scanners that can detect when a person is carrying something bulky on their body like a gun, not every airport uses body scanners (Wunderlich, 2018). By creating smaller and cheaper body scanners, more airports can afford to use such a security system which can help buff up their layers of security against the use of 3D firearms. Meanwhile, additional training could be given to inspectors and even sniffer dogs on how to identify 3D printed plastic parts in a hidden compartment. Overall, I think that all layers of security at the airport are important. While new threats will always find a way to surface, the layers of security can also change and adapt to mitigate such threats as soon as possible to make flying safe for everyone.

References:

SUNDBY, A. (2018). 3D-printed guns among weapons found at airport security checkpoints, TSA says. Cbsnews.com. Retrieved 4 September 2020, from https://www.cbsnews.com/news/3d-printed-guns-among-weapons-found-at-airport-security-checkpoints/.

TSA. (2016). A 3D Printed firearm found by TSA [Image]. Retrieved 4 September 2020, from https://www.instagram.com/p/BIwB0_hA-au/?utm_source=ig_embed.

TSA. (2017). Inside Look: TSA Layers of Security. Retrieved 4 September 2020, from https://www.tsa.gov/blog/2017/08/01/inside-look-tsa-layers-security.

Wunderlich, R. (2018). 'They are still detectable': Security officials say they can recognize 3D printed guns. NBC5. Retrieved 4 September 2020, from https://www.mynbc5.com/article/they-are-still-detectable-vermont-security-officials-say-they-can-recognize-3d-printed-guns/22618279.