To determine the  explosives that screening technologies need to detect, whether on passengers, in checked bags or air cargo, it is essential to first determine the effects that different explosive threats can cause to a variety of commercial aircraft. 

To provide the Transportation Security Administration with this key information, EXD's Commercial Aircraft Vulnerability and Mitigation Program conducts analysis and live-fire tests on commercial aircraft to determine the potential for catastrophic structural failure while in flight.

EXD, supported by subject matter experts from S&T's Transportation Security Laboratory, also identifies and evaluates countermeasures that can be used to mitigate the potential blast-effects of an explosive device onboard commercial aircraft. Testing has been conducted on a wide variety of countermeasures including blast resistant containers for transporting cargo and baggage and development of procedures that could counter a threat found in the passenger cabin while in flight.