Collins Aerospace, a business unit of RTX, has secured a pivotal $438 million contract from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to spearhead the Radar System Replacement program. This initiative is a cornerstone of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s sweeping effort to establish a brand-new air traffic control system for the 21st century.
The contract tasks Collins with deploying next-generation cooperative and non-cooperative radar systems across the nation. By consolidating numerous legacy systems into a single, modern architecture, the program aims to deliver reliable, secure data to air traffic controllers while simplifying operations and reducing long-term costs.
“With a 70-year partnership with the FAA, we are prepared to rapidly replace outdated technology with a unified, interoperable solution,” stated Nate Boelkins, President of Avionics at Collins Aerospace. “This modern radar infrastructure seamlessly integrates with existing systems, enhancing safety and operational efficiency while future-proofing the National Airspace System.”
The deployment will feature two advanced radar models: the Condor Mk3 and the ASR-XM. The Condor Mk3 is a cooperative surveillance radar that communicates directly with aircraft transponders. Its counterpart, the ASR-XM, is a non-cooperative system that detects aircraft by analyzing reflected signals, providing critical redundancy. Both systems are already FAA-qualified, having undergone extensive certification at test sites, which accelerates nationwide implementation.
This award builds upon a substantial foundation, as more than 550 RTX radar systems are currently operational within the national airspace. The new Condor Mk3 and ASR-XM radars are engineered to deliver exceptionally precise aircraft tracking, particularly at lower altitudes where high-fidelity surveillance is crucial for safety. The program represents a significant leap forward in modernizing the vital ground-based infrastructure that ensures the safety and efficiency of all air travel.
