The U.S. Department of Transportation`s Federal Aviation Administration (
The U.S. Department of Transportation`s Federal Aviation Administration (
These display systems are part of the FAA`s plan for providing interim tower displays in advance of the full national deployment of the Standard Terminal Automated Radar System (STARS). The display systems will also provide an affordable, certifiable tower radar display that can be purchased by airports, at their own expense.
There are two low-cost display systems that will be available later this year.
Called the ARTS IE (Automated Radar Terminal Systems IE) and STARS LITE (Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System Local Integrated Tower Equipment), these displays are based on existing air traffic control technology, enabling the FAA to minimize the need for additional testing, evaluation and training. This market-based approach is expected to expedite the certification of the two systems.
The FAA currently plans to install the systems at approximately 15 towers,
each handling at least 30,000 operations annually. Smaller airports can opt to install this new technology at their own expense. Airports will be able to purchase the systems directly from the manufacturers, through the General Services Administration, or through the FAA, via reimbursable agreements.
This is a shining example of FAA`s new way of doing business, said Bill Voss, director of FAA`s Terminal Business Service. It allows us to introduce commercial-grade equipment rapidly and with minimal investment of resources. And, building on existing systems means we can reduce the amount of time it takes to test the software and prepare the training materials.
The full-service STARS system, which is being installed at the nation`s busiest airports, includes redundancy features (for example, dual Local Area Networks) that are a necessity for these high-traffic areas. Since STARS LITE and ARTS-IE are targeted for airports with low-to-medium traffic levels, they do not require the redundancy and enhanced capabilities that would be required at busier locations.
The FAA evaluated the STARS LITE and ARTS IE at airports in Vero Beach, FL, and Prescott, AZ, respectively.
The low cost displays are the result of unique partnerships between the manufacturers-Raytheon Corp. and Lockheed Martin-and the FAA`s Terminal Business Service, the agency`s first performance-based organization.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
