Helps FAA Address Unique Alaskan Airspace Challenges

The FAA has awarded a 10-year contract worth an estimated $98 million to Harris Corporation to upgrade and manage the system that provides real-time weather data and flight-planning capabilities for Alaska's general aviation community. The contract includes three base years and seven one-year options.

Under the Operational and Supportability Implementation System (OASIS) II program, Harris will provide integrated flight planning and real-time weather briefing capabilities to FAA Flight Service specialists. OASIS also supports Notice to Airmen messages—which alert pilots to potential hazards and provides up-to-date radar and satellite imagery. OASIS II will be the first consumer of System Wide Information Management in the National Airspace System (NAS). As a part of the contract Harris also will provide system test and maintenance support services.

"OASIS is critical to ensuring the safety of general aviation aircraft operating in Alaska's challenging weather conditions and remote mountainous terrain," said John O'Sullivan, vice president, NextGen Initiatives, Harris Government Communications Systems. "As a managed service, OASIS ensures low-risk, cost-effective modernization of the FAA's technology infrastructure in Alaska and leverages the experience we have gained from other managed services programs."

Harris has a long history of developing and integrating system solutions for the FAA in support of the NAS. The company is the prime contractor for the FAA Telecommunications Infrastructure (FTI) program, which provides critical voice, data and video communications for NAS operations and mission support functions. FTI securely connects more than 4,300 national and international FAA and DOD facilities, manages over 26,000 services, and supports more than 50,000 users.

FMI: www.harris.com