By Eileen Sullivan, The Associated Press

WASHINGTON - The U.S. government has installed high-tech passenger screening equipment at airports without fully measuring whether the technologies address the most serious risks to aviation, congressional auditors found.

Most decisions to introduce new passenger screening devices at airports have been based on threats described in intelligence reports. This is important, the Government Accountability Office said, but these threats also need to be measured against how vulnerable air systems are to them and against the full consequences if the threat were carried out.

The auditors said the Transportation Security Administration has not completed this full assessment of threat, vulnerability and consequences together. As a result, TSA cannot get a complete picture of the potential risk from any particular threat and it cannot be sure that its investments in screening devices deal with the greatest risks to aviation, the auditors said.

Nor can TSA measure whether an appropriate amount of money has been spent on the machines, the auditors said.

Their report noted that since TSA was created after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, 10 passenger screening technologies have been either put into research and development, tested or put in use at some airports. In a pilot program to evaluate the technology, TSA screeners are using 46 units, with two different types of technology, at 23 U.S. airports, according to TSA's Web site.

TSA said in its response to the GAO report that the agency has considered threat, vulnerability and consequence when it makes decisions about technology.

The report, released Thursday, is a public version of a restricted report provided to lawmakers this year.

"A comprehensive and sensible strategic plan is critical to ensure that the government minimizes waste while securing the flying public," said Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee.

TSA spokeswoman Kristin Lee said the GAO audit began three years ago, and since then the agency has acted to improve testing and deploy the correct devices where they are needed most.

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On the Net:

GAO report: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d10128.pdf

TSA imaging: http://www.tsa.gov/approach/tech/imaging(underscore)technology.shtm