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| ATC controllers tracking aircraft with STARS. STARS is capable of tracking up to 1350 airborne aircraft simultaneously within a terminal area. Photo: Raytheon |
[Avionics Today 02-05-2016] The FAA has granted Raytheon a $135 million contract modification to upgrade Air Traffic Control (ATC) systems at the final 22 airports of the Standard Terminal Automation System (STARS). Implementation of STARS at these 22 sites will complete the NextGen terminal automation modernization of every major FAA National Air Space (NAS) facility by December 2019
STARS provides terminal automation with a single operational baseline. This simplifies the implementation of future NextGen enhancements designed to maintain safety and bring efficiencies to an increasingly congested NAS. STARS is a standard system used by both the FAA and the Department of Defense. It replaces several generations and versions of existing terminal automation systems, providing substantial savings in lifecycle costs. The system brings additional safety and capacity management features to terminal automation in both the commercial and defense sectors, according to Raytheon.
“This platform has the processing capacity to allow greatly improved efficiency for the controllers, airlines and flying public,” said Michael Espinola, managing director of Raytheon Air Traffic Systems.