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DOT Secretary Sean P. Duffy and FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford have announced that the FAA will replace the current U.S. radar system.
The ground-based radar system is used for detecting and tracking aircraft in the sky. The FAA states that replacing the network is essential to enhancing the safety and efficiency of the nation's airspace. The radar contracts are part of the new air traffic control initiative and were awarded to RTX and Indra.
"While our air travel system is the safest in the world, most of our radars date back to the 1980s. It's unacceptable," said Secretary Duffy. "Thanks to President Trump and the One Big Beautiful Bill, we'll begin replacing this outdated technology to boost safety and enable the next big wave of innovation in our skies."
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Up to 612 radars are planned to be replaced by June 2028 with modern, commercially available surveillance radars. Replacements are scheduled to begin this quarter and will prioritize high-traffic areas. The FAA will also consolidate the 14 different configurations in the NAS to simplify maintenance and logistics."Our radar network is outdated and long overdue for replacement.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," said Administrator Bedford. "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."