Newswise — LONDON – Last week, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) marked the 15-year anniversary of cooperation with the United Kingdom for collaborative research and development efforts aimed at both nations’ mutual homeland security challenges.

Mr. William N. Bryan, the DHS Senior Official Performing the Duties of Under Secretary for Science and Technology, co-chaired the annual bilateral meeting with UK Chief Scientific Advisor to the Home Office Professor John Aston.

“S&T is committed to advancing its partnership with the Home Office and delivering homeland security solutions that endure and looks forward to continuing the alliance built over the past 15 years,” Mr. Bryan said.

This trip was used to affirm S&T’s commitment to the 15-year partnership and offered an opportunity to discuss ongoing collaborative efforts to develop next-generation screening for aviation and CBRNE security, as well as scoping three areas of growing importance: detection of contraband coming over our borders; countering the threats posed by unmanned aerial systems (UAS); and securing crowded spaces where unstructured flows of people can present challenges to ensuring public safety.

S&T hosted a reception at the U.S. Embassy in London to celebrate the bilateral partnership during which UK officials were presented with a commemorative plaque noting “15 Fruitful Years of Bilateral Cooperation and Friendship.”