Wins Industry Group's 2016 Industrial Award For Upgrading Systems That Control 80 Percent Of US Air Traffic

The Air Traffic Control Association has named Raytheon the winner of its 2016 Industrial Award for modernizing key air traffic systems that control the most complex and congested airspaces in the nation.

The annual award, which recognizes outstanding achievement in advancing the science of air traffic control, was presented at ATCA's 61st Annual Conference and Exposition in National Harbor, Maryland.

Raytheon modernized the FAA's 11 largest Terminal Radar Approach Control facilities, which control 80 percent of U.S. air traffic. The company installed its state-of-the-art Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System, or STARS, consolidating multiple, legacy, capacity-constrained systems into a single, terminal-area operational system that is the backbone of national air traffic control.

"Think of this transition as changing an engine on a plane when it's inflight. Rolling out STARS in our nation's busiest airspaces, without disrupting air traffic operations or compromising public safety, is a tremendous accomplishment." said Robert Delorge, vice president of transportation and support services at Raytheon's Intelligence, Information and Services business. "We delivered a modern system that provides long-term cost savings for the FAA and enhances the safety and efficiency of our nation's airspace."

Raytheon worked in partnership with the FAA, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association and Professional Airways Systems to implement STARS over an 18-month period at TRACONs in New York, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, northern and southern California, St. Louis, Louisville, Minneapolis, Atlanta and Washington, D.C. The activity was completed on time and under budget when New York became operational in May.

STARS, a standard system used by both the FAA and the Department of Defense, provides guidance for departing and arriving aircraft in the airport terminal area. The Raytheon-developed system replaces several generations of existing terminal automation systems, providing savings in life-cycle costs. The system brings additional safety and capacity management to terminal automation and is a cornerstone of NextGen, the FAA's airspace modernization initiative. By 2019, STARS will be installed in every FAA radar facility.

(Source: Raytheon news release)

FMI: www.raytheon.com