A new Surface Movement Radar (SMR) system has been installed at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey as part of a wider programme to modernise air traffic control infrastructure.
US Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy and Federal Aviation Administrator Bryan Bedford unveiled the new Surface Movement Radar Model 4 (SMR-4) at the airport on 11 August.
The system replaces radar that had been in service at Newark for around 30 years. It enables air traffic controllers to monitor aircraft and vehicles operating on runways and taxiways in a range of weather and visibility conditions.
Newark’s installation is the fifth SMR-4 system to be installed in the US.
The radar forms part of a broader programme of infrastructure upgrades at the airport. Newark is due to receive 30 million USD over the next three years through funding associated with the Trump administration’s Working Families Tax Cuts.
Around 90% of the airport’s copper wiring has already been replaced with high-speed fibre. Newark is also moving from paper flight strips to electronic flight strips.
Further upgrades are planned by the end of summer 2027. These include electronic information displays for controllers, new voice switches for communication with pilots and other air traffic facilities, and a new long-range radar system.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy said:Since the start of this administration, we have been working towards building a modern system that will serve America’s skies for generations. From replacing Newark’s ancient copper wire to investing $30 million into new infrastructure and bringing new radar online, we are delivering real safety and efficiency enhancements at one of our nation’s busiest airports. We’re just getting started in our efforts to usher in the Golden Age of Travel for American passengers.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has also highlighted a number of measures introduced at Newark following significant delays during summer 2025. These include a software update intended to address system glitches and prevent outages, accelerated installation of fibre-optic communications infrastructure, and changes to flight volumes to better align with available controller staffing.
The Newark upgrades form part of a wider programme to modernise air traffic control infrastructure across the US. According to the FAA, the agency has replaced 60% of its copper wiring, converted 363 radio sites, installed 96 Surface Awareness Initiative systems, moved 19 towers to electronic flight strips and installed 151 IP voice switches at control towers over the past year.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said:Newark sees well over a thousand flights per day, and the new Surface Movement Radar will help controllers keep those flights safe at this major U.S. hub. This is just the latest step in the FAA’s work to modernise our skies for the Golden Age of Travel.
The SMR-4 installation is intended to provide controllers with improved visibility of movements on the airport’s runways and taxiways as Newark continues to handle more than 1,000 flights a day.
