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Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), one of the nation's busiest airports, has received a major air traffic control infrastructure upgrade. The airport's aging radar infrastructure had become part of a broader FAA effort to modernize air traffic control systems. Modernizing one of America's busiest airports The FAA and DOT unveiled on Aug. 11th EWR's new Surface Movement Radar Model 4 (SMR-4). It is only the fifth SMR-4 installed in the country and is designed to allow ATC to track aircraft and vehicles on runways and taxiways regardless of weather or visibility conditions. EWR is critical in the Northeast air transportation system, handling over 1,000 flights each day. Its 30-year-old systems have been showing signs of age. Last year, the airport had multiple outages that highlighted the decades-old system and its need for an update. On April 28th and May 9th, 2025, air traffic controllers at EWR lost communication and radar services for around 90 seconds. This resulted in hundreds of flight delays and cancellations for weeks. Replacing the radar system is only one part of the FAA's plan to modernize the airport. The FAA stated that EWR will receive $30 million from the Working Families Tax Cuts Act over the next three years to complete critical upgrades. The airport has already replaced 90% of its copper wiring with high-speed fiber to enhance communication and is currently transitioning from paper flight strips to new electronic flight strips. Future planned upgrades include electronic information displays, voice switches and a long-range radar More than a radar upgrade Replacing old infrastructure is important. Modernizing the systems connected to it is where the majority of operational fixes occur. EWR is an example of how the FAA plans to modernize aging air traffic systems. The completed and planned improvements provide insight into the FAA's broader modernization approach. The FAA states that nationwide it has: Replaced 60% of all copper wires Converted 363 radio sites Installed 96 new Surface Awareness Initiative systems Transitioned 19 towers to electronic flight strips Installed 151 IP voice switches at control towers Why it matters The new radar system and other upgrades reflect a larger shift toward replacing aging ATC infrastructure. Taken together, the radar installation, communications upgrades, and digital tools illustrate how the FAA is moving from isolated equipment replacements toward a broader modernization of the national air traffic system.