BNATCS_DRAFT SIR_Section C.pdf

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Brand New Air Traffic Control System

A Modernization Effort

Statement Of Objectives (SOO)

June 4, 2025

Version v.1

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Revisions Summary Page

Date/ Rev Rev Affected Sections

Change

June 4, 2025 Initial Creation N/A N/A

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1. Introduction The FAA is undertaking a transformative initiative to modernize the National Airspace System (NAS), encompassing nearly all aspects of its operation—including communications, surveillance, automation, and facilities. This modernization effort is not a one-for-one replacement or technical refresh—it represents a comprehensive reinvention of the systems, services, and platforms that enable NAS operations. The initiative seeks to leverage advanced, emerging, and proven technologies to not only sustain but enhance NAS capabilities, ensuring the system can meet the evolving needs of airspace users now and into the future.

2. Purpose The purpose of this Statement of Objectives (SOO) is to acquire the services of a qualified Integrator to lead, facilitate, and execute the FAA’s NAS modernization effort. The Integrator will be responsible for coordinating and implementing a comprehensive set of activities to modernize the systems, services, and infrastructure that support NAS operations. This effort requires the application of advanced, emerging, and proven technologies to enhance system performance, eliminate outdated capabilities, and ensure seamless integration across the NAS— while maintaining operational safety, continuity, and efficiency. The Integrator’s role is central to delivering a reimagined, resilient, and future-ready airspace system aligned with the FAA’s long-term vision.

The Integrator will be responsible for executing all necessary efforts to modernize NAS infrastructure and capabilities. This includes upgrading facilities, acquiring and deploying advanced technologies, managing integration across diverse systems, and coordinating with stakeholders to deconflict parallel efforts across the NAS. All work must not compromise safety.

The Integrator will play a central role in fulfilling the modernization initiative. Responsibilities include evaluating and applying innovative technologies, consolidating redundant capabilities, and designing integrated solutions that improve the safety, efficiency, and resilience of the NAS.

These solutions must be modular, interoperable, and scalable, enabling integration with legacy infrastructure without disrupting ongoing operations. This effort must be viewed as an opportunity to streamline, modernize, and transform NAS operations in alignment with the FAA’s long-term vision for a dynamic, adaptable, and nationally harmonized airspace system.

The FAA seeks a vendor capable of analyzing and applying current and emerging technologies to meet or exceed baseline requirements, while ensuring seamless integration with existing infrastructure—without compromising safety, performance, or operational continuity across the

NAS.

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3. Scope This effort encompasses the modernization, integration, and transformation of the services, systems, and platforms that enable operations within the National Airspace System (NAS). The FAA requires an Integrator to lead this initiative by developing and implementing modular, interoperable, and scalable solutions that align with the FAA’s long-term operational and technological vision for a dynamic, adaptable, and nationally harmonized airspace system.

The Integrator will be responsible for the full execution of modernization activities, including upgrading infrastructure and facilities, acquiring and deploying advanced technologies, managing integration across diverse systems, and coordinating with internal and external stakeholders to deconflict activities across the NAS. These efforts must be performed without disrupting ongoing airspace operations or compromising safety, performance, or continuity.

The scope includes a comprehensive discovery effort to assess the commercial marketplace and identify viable current and emerging technologies that meet or exceed current FAA baseline requirements. Based on this assessment, the Integrator will plan and execute the programmatic functions necessary to deliver integrated, end-to-end solutions. These functions include requirements analysis, system design, testing and validation, procurement, vendor and risk management, integration, acceptance, sustainment, and post-acceptance operational support.

All work must be performed under a compressed timeline that demands efficient delivery without sacrificing system integrity or operational reliability. The Integrator must ensure that all solutions are compatible with legacy infrastructure, enable smooth transitions, and eliminate redundant capabilities, while positioning the NAS to accommodate future technologies and evolving user needs.

4. NAS Modernization Objectives

4.1. Modernization of Legacy NAS Infrastructure and Capabilities Modernize and replace aging NAS infrastructure and systems across key operational domains, including communications, surveillance, automation, and facilities. This includes transitioning telecommunications from Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) to Internet Protocol (IP), upgrading Voice over Internet Communication Enterprise (VoICE) switches for radio communications, and integrating enhanced surveillance capabilities such as modern Surveillance Radars, and Surface Movement Radar systems.

The Integrator will also support the modernization and integration of critical automation programs, such as, or similar to, Traffic Flow Management (TFMS), Terminal Flight Data Manager (TFDM), Flow Management Data and Services (FMDS), Information Display Systems (IDS), and the replacement of Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System (STARS) and En Route Automation Modernization (ERAM). Additional efforts include enhancing capabilities

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(VWOS).

Facility upgrades are required across Airport Traffic Control Towers (ATCTs), Terminal Radar Approach Control Facilities (TRACONs), Air Route Traffic Control Centers (ARTCCs), and Combined Control Facilities (CCFs) to enable deployment, integration, and operational support of these new technologies. All modernization activities must be executed without unmanaged disruption to airspace operations and must ensure system interoperability, scalability, and alignment with the FAA’s long-term vision for a secure, efficient, and resilient NAS.

4.2. Comprehensive Execution Approach for NAS Modernization

Develop and implement a comprehensive approach to execute the full scope and objectives of the NAS modernization effort. The Integrator must define and manage the strategy, processes, tools, organizational structure, and resources necessary to deliver integrated solutions across all domains—communications, surveillance, automation, and facilities. This approach must address program planning, stakeholder coordination, risk and schedule management, acquisition and integration activities, supply chain management, testing, deployment, and sustainment. The execution strategy should reflect an understanding of FAA priorities and constraints, while ensuring flexibility, accountability, and alignment with the FAA’s long-term vision for a modern, resilient, and harmonized NAS.

4.2.1. Gap Analysis and Operationalization

The Integrator must conduct a comprehensive gap analysis across all proposed solutions and modernization activities to assess alignment with FAA baseline requirements, as applicable. See Attachment J1. This analysis must include, but is not limited to, operational performance, human factors, safety, security, environmental compliance, and interoperability standards.

Beyond identifying and documenting gaps between proposed capabilities and FAA requirements, the Integrator must take the conceptual and strategic modernization plans and translate them into actionable, operational outcomes. This includes developing and implementing mitigation strategies, proposing planning modifications, and ensuring that all modernization efforts conform to FAA operational, regulatory, and technical standards—supporting the transition from strategy to execution across the National Airspace System.

4.2.2. Sustainment and Transition Planning for Modernized NAS Capabilities Establish and execute a comprehensive sustainment and transition strategy to ensure the long-term viability, supportability, and operational readiness of modernized NAS systems. The Integrator will develop plans to transition new capabilities from implementation to sustained operations, including documentation, training, logistics, maintenance, and technical support. The

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4.3. Technology Assessment and System Efficiencies

Assess current, emerging, and advanced technologies to identify opportunities for improving system performance, reducing operational complexity, and enhancing the efficiency of NAS operations. As part of this assessment, the Integrator must evaluate how these technologies can be leveraged to optimize performance, streamline functions, and enhance service delivery across the NAS. The outcome should support a more integrated, efficient, and resilient operational environment that aligns with the FAA’s long-term modernization vision.

4.4. Integrated Management and Coordination Across NAS Modernization Domains Provide comprehensive oversight, management, coordination, and execution of NAS modernization activities across the key operational domains of surveillance, communications, automation, and facilities. The Integrator must ensure all modernization efforts are aligned, interdependencies are identified and resolved, and delivery is cohesive and synchronized across all domains.

This includes managing and coordinating a diverse stakeholder landscape. The Integrator will engage with:

Internal Stakeholders External Stakeholders

• FAA organizations

• Program & Acquisition Offices

• Engineering

• Safety

• Logistics & Depot functions

• Operational units

• Union representatives

• Other federal agencies

• Industry partners

• Other vendors and contractors already engaged under separate FAA contracts.

In many cases, the Integrator will be required to interface with, integrate, or build upon systems and efforts already underway. Therefore, effective cross-vendor collaboration, schedule synchronization, technical interface planning, and configuration control will be essential to successful delivery. All activities must support seamless integration into NAS operations, preserve operational safety and continuity, minimize service disruptions, and establish a foundation for future capability expansion.

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4.5. Operational Integration of Systems into the NAS

Ensure the seamless integration of systems, capabilities, and functionality into the NAS to enable air traffic controllers and operational personnel to access and utilize critical information required to perform their duties effectively. The Integrator will be responsible for the physical and logical connection, interfacing, and coupling of new and existing systems, including systems and functionality already under FAA contract—ensuring data flows, interoperability, and real-time performance meet operational requirements. This integration must maintain the integrity, reliability, and availability of NAS services while supporting enhanced decision-making, situational awareness, and safety across all domains of air traffic operations.

4.6. Acquisition Strategy and Contract Management

The Integrator must assess, develop, and manage comprehensive acquisition strategies and contractual mechanisms to support the full lifecycle of NAS modernization – from concept through deployment, transition to operations, and sustainment. This includes providing advisory support and strategic planning early in the lifecycle to ensure procurement activities are synchronized with technical needs, operational readiness, and long-term FAA objectives.

The Integrator will be responsible for coordinating with FAA acquisition offices and program stakeholders in providing recommendations concerning current and future acquisition requirements, developing procurement strategies, and assisting in the creation of acquisition packages, including cost estimates, schedules, statements of work, and technical evaluation criteria. The Integrator must support activities required to solicit, evaluate, award, and manage contracts—whether for systems, services, facilities, or integration efforts—ensuring all efforts are timely, cost-effective, and technically aligned.

As modernization solutions transition from deployment (F&E-funded) to operations and sustainment (OPS-funded), the Integrator must provide recommendations and planning support to facilitate a smooth and risk-mitigated handoff. This includes sustainment planning, vendor transition strategies, and defining the scope and structure of future acquisition activities necessary to maintain performance, supportability, and cost efficiency.

4.7. Equipment Procurement and Support Provisioning

Plan, manage, and execute the procurement of all equipment necessary to support NAS modernization, including both operational and support systems. This includes acquiring warranty coverage, site and depot spares, site consumables, specialized test equipment, and other support equipment essential for deployment, integration, and sustainment. The Integrator will ensure that all procured equipment meets FAA requirements and is delivered in alignment with project timelines, operational needs, and lifecycle support considerations.

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4.8. FAA Management and Engineering Practices

Historically, the FAA has employed a comprehensive set of management and engineering practices and principles to support the lifecycle of NAS systems and services. These practices include program planning, system engineering and validation, production, deployment, implementation, and sustainment. The FAA has also emphasized critical support functions such as training, logistics, maintenance, engineering support, and configuration management, as well as system disposition and human factors integration.

The agency's approach has incorporated key disciplines such as environmental and system safety management, occupational safety and health (including hazardous materials), and information security. IT practices—including NAS Internet Protocol (IP) integration—and the use of the Remote Monitoring and Logging System (RMLS) have supported operational effectiveness.

Additionally, the FAA has maintained robust oversight and control through contractor oversight, risk management, earned value management, schedule management, and other governance mechanisms to ensure safe, secure, and cost-effective modernization and operation of the NAS.

While the FAA has historically employed these functions and practices to manage and support NAS systems, it does not intend to prescribe or dictate specific activities for this modernization effort. Instead, the FAA anticipates that the Integrator will establish and implement comparable functions, as appropriate, but retains maximum flexibility in determining the methods, tools, and processes necessary to successfully meet the stated objectives.

For context, the FAA provides a generalized description of key management and engineering practices:

4.9. Program Management

The management objective is to allow the Integrator to innovatively manage the project/program schedule, program performance, risks, quality control, warranties, subcontracts, data,, and to provide the FAA with transparency of activity concerning the new surveillance radars that satisfies the FAA’s objectives.

4.10. Systems Engineering

Execute a system engineering program for the definition, design, development, manufacture, verification, performance measurement, integration, and testing of the system. System engineering efforts must consider all aspects of performance, quality, life cycle cost, maintainability, reliability, sustainability, schedule, data processing reserves, system safety management, Information Systems Security, and perform requirements management. The FAA is seeking a comprehensive and detailed vendor-generated solution leveraging Commercial-Off- The-Shelf (COTS) radar systems.

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4.11. System Validation

Plan, conduct, and document a comprehensive Test & Evaluation (T&E) program to verify that the solution meets the critical performance requirements and perform requirement gap analysis.

The test plan must include detailed verification methods that trace each FAA requirement to its corresponding validation activity, demonstrating compliance through objective evidence such as existing documentation, test reports, analysis data, or certification artifacts.

4.12. Security

Ensure compliance with all applicable FAA and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) security requirements and controls, including but not limited to information security (cybersecurity) and personnel security. The vendor must implement and maintain robust security controls in accordance with NIST SP 800-series guidelines and applicable FAA orders to protect sensitive FAA data and systems. This includes safeguarding sensitive, classified and controlled unclassified information, enforcing access controls, supporting security audits, monitoring, incident response, and continuous risk management throughout the contract period.

4.13. Integrated Logistic Support and Training

Establish a comprehensive, end-to-end logistics and sustainment methodology to support the deployment, operation, and lifecycle maintenance of the radar systems. Development and delivery of all activities necessary to support the system —ensuring operational readiness, maintainability, and long-term system performance.

This includes:

• Spares provisioning

• Maintenance planning

• Operational and repair manuals, e.g. technical instruction books

• FAA Second level engineering transition plan

• FAA Depot transition plan

• Training and course conducts (site level maintenance technicians, second level engineering, and depot level repair)

• Provide support systems, warranty/site/depot spares, site consumables, specialized test equipment, and support equipment

• Provide data rights for FAA repair capabilities

4.14. Configuration Management

Establish a Configuration Management (CM) practice for the control of all elements of the system, including hardware, software, firmware, documentation, test equipment, space, physical media, and physical parts for the life of the contract. Establishment of a product baseline to define the configuration of the surveillance systems with a demonstrated capability to satisfy the FAA’s performance requirements. Provide technical documentation of the system product

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4.15. In-Service Management

Provide sustainment, performance monitoring, and upgrades to ensure continued operation of the systems until responsibility is transferred to the FAA. This support must include timely issue resolution, technical troubleshooting, system diagnostics, and coordination with higher-level engineering resources as needed to ensure continued system performance, reliability, and operational readiness.

4.16. Quality Management

Establish and maintain a documented Quality Assurance (QA) program as a means of assuring compliance with all contract requirements.

4.17. Equipment Procurement:

• Operational systems

• Support systems

• Warranty, site, and depot spares

• Site consumables

• Specialized test equipment

• Support equipment

4.18. Implementation

Plan and execute a comprehensive implementation program that leads to the successful installation, checkout, test, and government acceptance in an operational environment and stable operations. The vendor must ensure continuity of surveillance coverage throughout the deployment process and ensure no unmanaged disruptions while maintaining system interoperability to support uninterrupted air traffic surveillance and full mission capability upon activation.

Implementation tasks include, but are not limited to:

• Deconflict with other site activities

• Stakeholder coordination

• Site survey and site engineering design

• Site preparation activities

• Installation, optimization, and checkout

• Site Acceptance Testing (SAT)

• Contractor Acceptance Inspection (CAI)

• Site remediation activities

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• Removal and disposal of the legacy systems

5. Core NAS Infrastructure Modernization Domains

5.1. Communication

Implement and integrate a high-speed information transmission system capable of securely transferring data between NAS systems and facilities. This communications infrastructure will enable timely, reliable, and secure coordination of all air traffic and surface operations by ensuring seamless data exchange across operational domains. The solution must meet FAA performance, security, and interoperability requirements to support the evolving demands of NAS coordination and decision-making.

5.2. Surveillance

Implement a comprehensive surveillance solution that enables complete, accurate, and reliable tracking of both airborne and surface targets across the NAS. The Integrator must assess, acquire, and integrate ground-based cooperative (e.g., secondary, transponder-based) and non-cooperative (e.g., primary radar, surface movement radar) technologies to ensure full situational awareness and target accountability.

The objective is to enable persistent surveillance coverage across all operational domains— terminal, enroute, and surface environments, including challenging airspace and terrain conditions. The solution must support the safe and efficient movement of aircraft and vehicles, enhancing the FAA’s ability to manage traffic and respond to operational contingencies.

Solutions must be interoperable, modular, and scalable to support evolving requirements and emerging technologies, while ensuring seamless integration with legacy systems and compliance with FAA surveillance performance, safety, security, and environmental standards.

5.3. Facilities

Plan, coordinate, and execute the modernization of FAA Air Traffic Control (ATC) facilities to support the evolving operational, technological, and safety requirements of the NAS. This effort includes the full lifecycle management—planning, design, construction, electronics installation, testing, commissioning, and disposition—of Air Route Traffic Control Centers (ARTCCs), Terminal Facilities, which may consist of Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) facilities, Airport Traffic Control Towers (ATCTs), and/or Combined Control Facilities (CCFs).

The Integrator shall ensure that all facilities are designed and constructed with a forward-looking approach that anticipates future aviation needs, emerging technologies, and evolving operational demands. Facility designs should incorporate modular and flexible layouts to accommodate technology upgrades, expanded mission requirements, and scalable operational configurations.

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5.4. Automation

Implement a next-generation automation platform that enables sustained transformation for air traffic services across the NAS. The objective is to establish a modular, interoperable, and scalable system that supports the FAA’s vision for a flexible, service-oriented architecture— capable of enhancing safety, efficiency, and adaptability in a complex, multi-domain airspace environment. The solution must accommodate current and future operational demands across terminal, en route, and oceanic domains, and must integrate seamlessly with both legacy systems (e.g., ADS-B, ASDE-X, NVS, SWIM, TFMS, DBFM, CIWS/ITWS) and new capabilities introduced under the NAS modernization effort.