US Department of Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Bryan Bedford have announced that the FAA intends to replace the nation’s current radar system, enhancing safety and efficiency across US airspace.
New radar contracts have been awarded to RTX and Indra, with funding set to be provided by the US Government as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill.
The new contracts will contribute to the replacement of up to 612 radars by June 2028 with more modern, commercially available surveillance radars.
Replacements will begin this quarter, and are set to proceed on a rolling basis, with priority given to high-traffic areas.
In addition to the network’s modernisation; the FAA intends to consolidate all 14 different configurations in the NAS today, simplifying both maintenance and logistics.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford, said:Our radar network is outdated and long overdue for replacement. Many of the units have exceeded their intended service life, making them increasingly expensive to maintain and difficult to support.
We are buying radar systems that will bring production back to the U.S. and provide a vital surveillance backbone to the National Airspace System.
Last December, the Department of Transportation (DOT) and FAA announced Peraton as the Prime Integrator to oversee construction of the new air traffic control system, with the company set to work alongside RTX and Indra.
Peraton has already commenced work to transition the system’s remaining copper infrastructure to modern fibre, having installed voice switches and deployed surface awareness systems at numerous airports around the country.
