US FAA to spend $6 billion on air traffic telecom, radar

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced it will commit $6 billion by the end of this year to modernize the nation’s air traffic control telecommunications and radar surveillance systems, with full deployment planned by 2028. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said the investment is part of a broader effort to address long-standing reliability issues after multiple system failures, including major outages affecting Newark air traffic. Congress has already approved $12.5 billion to reform the aging air traffic control system, while the administration is seeking an additional $19 billion or more to complete the overhaul. Bedford explained that the FAA is accelerating modernization from a 15-year plan to a three-year timeline and has already replaced more than one-third of its copper infrastructure with fiber-optic systems. The FAA recently selected Peraton, a national security firm owned by Veritas Capital, to manage the overhaul. Bedford told lawmakers that President Donald Trump required Peraton to accept $200 million less than originally planned for overseeing the contract. Initial priorities include creating a new digital command center and further transitioning from copper to fiber infrastructure. Bedford also defended the FAA’s decision to limit flights during a prolonged government shutdown, emphasizing that safety remains the agency’s top priority. A 2023 report found that many FAA communication systems are so outdated that spare parts are no longer available, and another report said 51 of 138 systems are unsustainable. The modernization effort follows years of criticism over airport congestion, technology failures, and flight delays. The FAA’s earlier $15 billion “NextGen” program, launched more than two decades ago, has suffered from delays, cost overruns, and reduced ambitions, according to an October report.