Request for Information CAP 11192025.docx

Request for Information Introduction/Purpose The FAA seeks information pertaining to President Trump’s and Secretary Duffy’s initiative to implement a brand-new Air Traffic Control System (ATC). See here for more information: U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy Unveils Plan to Build Brand New State-of-the-Art Air Traffic Control System | US Department of Transportation.

Specifically, the FAA is seeking information for a Common Automation Platform (CAP) solution. This CAP aims to replace the legacy systems—ERAM (En Route Automation Modernization), STARS (Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System) —with a unified, state-of-the-art platform.

The FAA is open to new ideas, new technologies, new procurement strategies, new implementation structures, and any other considerations that will enhance the Common Automation Platform solution. In particular, the FAA is open to an Enterprise Re-Architecture approach that extends and re-architects existing FAA automation assets (e.g., ERAM and STARS) as well as an Operationally Proven Platform approach based on a platform with documented operational use by other ANSPs in domestic or international ATC environments; responses that describe both approaches separately or hybrid solutions that combine elements of both approaches are acceptable. The FAA is seeking responses from vendors that can deliver the majority of the operational capability already provided today across its en-route, and terminal domains.

Nature of this RFI

(a) This is not a commitment to issue a further screening information request or request for proposals;

(b) The FAA is not seeking or accepting unsolicited proposals;

(c) The FAA will not pay for any information received or costs incurred in preparing any response to this RFI; and

(d) Any costs associated with any response to this RFI are solely at the interested vendor’s expense.

A. CAP-Solution Approach, Business and Schedule Questions

1. What is your vision/approach to implementing a CAP solution within the timeframe outlined by the Secretary of Transportation?

2. What business model would you propose and why would it work best for the FAA in this instance? The FAA is willing to consider innovative and unconventional approaches.

3. How should the FAA approach data rights under CAP and what are the trade spaces that should be considered for the different approaches?

4. What do you think are the FAA’s top three obstacles in achieving the stated goal of a CAP and how would you propose to overcome them?

B. CAP-Specific Questions for Effective System Capability

1. Do you currently have a Common Automation Platform for automation for Air Traffic management and control?

a) If your product deployed operationally or is it in an initial prototype phase.

b) How widely used is your product in the global market?

2. System Integration and Interoperability Describe how your system or service enables efficient and flexible interoperability with third-party solutions and evolving technologies throughout the full lifecycle of the National Airspace System (NAS).

a) How will your CAP solution ensure seamless integration and real-time data exchange with existing and legacy systems (ERAM, STARS) during transition and after full deployment?

b) Support for Future Integration: What architectural choices, standards compliance (such as open APIs or data models), and interface management strategies do you employ to ensure continued compatibility with new entrants, technologies, or regulatory changes in the NAS over the system’s expected lifespan?

c) Adaptability to Emerging Use Cases: How does your solution facilitate seamless integration of future operational capabilities—such as UAS, advanced air mobility, space operations, or other new NAS functions—without requiring major redesign?

d) Sustained Interoperability Commitment: What processes are in place to proactively assess, plan for, and implement interoperability upgrades or enhancements in line with FAA’s ongoing NAS modernization and Automation Evolution Strategy (AES) objectives?

e) Historical or Ongoing Future-Proofing Examples: Where possible, provide examples demonstrating your organization’s success in supporting long-term interoperability, interoperability upgrades, or migration efforts in comparable complex aviation or large government environments.

3. Functional Coverage and Adaptability

a) What domains does your CAP platform fully support? Please explain if your system currently meets all required airspace domains and operational scenarios fully or partially.

b) How does the system accommodate evolving requirements, such as new airspace users (e.g., unmanned aircraft, urban air mobility)?

c) How does the system introduce, integrate and deploy new enhancements. What does the lifecycle look like for air traffic capability enhancements introduced by the user community.

4. Reliability, Safety, and Resilience

a) What mechanisms are in place to ensure high availability, fault tolerance, and rapid recovery from failures?

b) How does the CAP solution detect, mitigate, and report safety-critical events and anomalies in real time?

5. Data Harmonization and Quality

a) What strategies does the system employ for data normalization, harmonization, and quality assurance across heterogeneous sources?

b) How does the solution handle inconsistencies or gaps in date, how does it ensure data integrity. For example, in weather, surveillance and flight data?

6. Advanced Automation and AI/ML Capabilities

a) Does your CAP system utilize AI or Machine Learning features? If so, how are they used and what are the realized operational benefits?

b) How are these features validated for safety and operational effectiveness?

7. User Experience and Usability

a) How is system usability measured and improved for controllers and operators?

b) What feedback mechanisms are available for continuous improvement of user workflows and interfaces?

c) Explain the training experience, concept and tools that your system has available for users in both the initial learning experience and changes or enhancements that follow.

8. Deployment Strategy and Transition Risk

a) How would you propose to deploy your solution across terminal and enroute facilities within the NAS today.

b) What is the proposed phased deployment and migration plan to minimize operational disruption?

c) How will the solution support zero-downtime transitions and legacy system coexistence?

d) How will the solutions account for limited space in existing facilities?

9. Security and Compliance

a) What cybersecurity frameworks and controls are implemented to protect critical infrastructure and sensitive data?

b) Does the system comply with relevant FAA, federal, and international standards? How would the system stay up to date by adhering to current standards?

10. Performance, Efficiency, and Scalability

a) Scalability to the NAS: How does your architecture support efficient operation across the vast expanse of nearly 30 million square miles of U.S. domestic and oceanic airspace, with networked management of high numbers of airports and ATC facilities?

b) Handling Complex Airspace: In what ways does your solution adapt to the highly complex, multilayered airspace configurations (e.g., controlled/uncontrolled zones, special use areas, and varying altitude sectors) and support dynamic changes in airspace use on demand?

c) Peak Performance for Unmatched Traffic Volume: How does your system ensure high availability, reliability, and real-time performance in environments that manage an unparalleled volume of air traffic—handling over 45,000 flights daily, with U.S. operational loads significantly outpacing those of any other Air Navigation Service Provider (ANSP) worldwide? Include specific performance metrics, benchmarks, or case studies where your system has demonstrated successful operation under comparable transaction or data loads.

d) Future-Proofing for Growth: What capabilities are included to accommodate continued traffic growth, integration of new aircraft types, and evolving operational scenarios, as anticipated in the FAA’s ongoing modernization efforts

11. Cost and Value

a) What is the proposed cost-recovery or pricing model for CAP deployment and sustainment?

b) How does the solution demonstrate value for money compared to exiting FAA software and system development and sustainment models?

12. System Safety Assurance

a) Describe your organization’s approach to development assurance and how you ensure your solution complies with the FAA’s safety assurance requirements for safety-critical systems.

b) Describe your organization’s approach to development assurance and how you ensure your solution complies with the FAA’s safety assurance requirements for safety-critical systems.

c) Development Assurance Ratings and Process: What development assurance levels (DALs) or ratings do you apply to safety-critical software and hardware components, and which industry standards (e.g., DO-178C, DO-278A, ED-109) are followed? Outline the processes, verification activities, and documentation used to satisfy those requirements.

d) Safety Criticality Assessment: How have you determined the safety criticality and failure condition classification of system components? Describe the methods and criteria you use to identify and categorize components according to their impact on system safety, failure modes, and operational consequences.

e) System Assurance Assessments: What system safety assurance assessment processes and methodologies are applied to ensure compliance for safety-critical and essential components? Please provide details on hazard analysis, design assurance, traceability, risk controls, independent verification and validation, and use of formal methods, where applicable.

f) Explain how your service-based solution (including cloud, SaaS, or modular hosted platforms) ensures ongoing compliance with FAA safety assurance processes and goals.

a. How do you support the FAA’s Safety Assurance System (SAS), including real-time operational monitoring, data collection, and risk-based oversight for service-based offerings?

b. What processes are in place to demonstrate continuous adherence to FAA safety objectives, address incident response and corrective actions, and provide transparent safety performance reporting throughout the lifecycle of the service?

c. In what ways do you apply required federal security and authorization standards (such as FedRAMP for cloud/SaaS), and ensure that Service Level Agreements (SLAs) cover safety-critical aspects for software as a service or other hosted environments?

C. CAP – Corporate Experience and Operational Product Availability

1. Operational Deployments

a) Please list if any ANSPs are currently using your automation solutions and in what domain (including en route and terminal domains). For each, specify the system name, operational status, domain, and the date of initial deployment.

b) Can you provide references or case studies demonstrating successful transition, deployment and sustained operation of your automation systems in live ANSP environments? Please provide points of contact at these ANSPs.

2. Scope and Scale of Experience

a) What is the total number of operational sites (e.g., ACCs, TRACONs, towers) where your automation platform is in use today?

b) Please describe the airspace complexity, traffic volume, systems architectural complexity, and geographic diversity of these deployments.

3. Product Maturity and Evolution

a) How long have your automation products been in continuous operational use within ANSPs?

b) What major upgrades or enhancements have been delivered to operational customers in the past five years? What was the timeframe from concept to operational delivery for these enhancements? If your solutions are in a prototype phase, what is the level of maturity currently and what is the timeline for operational delivery?

c) For prototypes or solutions still in development, is there an increased risk for solutions already in operational use at ANSPs and industry today? How can those risks be managed and possibly reduced?

4. Interoperability and Integration

a) Describe your experience integrating your automation systems with legacy platforms (such as ERAM, STARS, or international equivalents). Provide examples of successful coexistence and transition strategies.

5. Performance and Reliability

a) What are the measured operational performance metrics (e.g., system availability, outage rates, recovery times) from current ANSP deployments?

b) How do your solutions support productivity, resilience, and efficiency in real-world operations?

6. Innovation and Digital Transformation

a) What innovative features (e.g., AI/ML, digital towers, advanced decision support) have been implemented and are currently operational in ANSPs using your products?

b) Can you share lessons learned from digital transformation initiatives with ANSP customers?

7. Customer Support and Collaboration

a) What ongoing support, training, and collaborative mechanisms do you provide to ANSPs using your systems?

b) How do you engage with operational stakeholders (controllers, engineers, management) to ensure continuous improvement?

D CAP- Alignment with FAA Automation Evolution Strategy (AES) Principles These questions are designed to ensure that the critical AES objectives addressed for interoperability, agility, modularity, rapid capability deployment, and alignment with FAA’s vision for future automation.

1. Alignment with FAA AES Principles

a) How does your architecture support a layered, service-based design, including separation between computing resources, standards-based software platforms, and mission-specific applications/services?

b) In what ways does your approach maximize the use of reusable components, enable independent development/sustainment of modules, and facilitate integration with other NAS services?

c) Describe your use of or compatibility with cloud technologies, microservices, and enterprise integration practices as promoted by AES.

d) How do you enable rapid development, integration, and deployment of new capabilities, and what processes are in place to accelerate delivery and reduce operational risk?

e) Provide examples that demonstrate adherence to commercial best practices, scalable infrastructure, and a flexible security approach (e.g., adoption of Zero Trust concepts).

2. Addressing Vendor Lock-In How will you ensure by design, action, and contract that the FAA will always retain practical, technical, and legal freedom to integrate, transition, and interoperate.

1. Describe, with technical evidence, how your solution supports open, standards-based interoperability and modularity. Include:

a) Lists of supported open standards, protocols, and data models.

b) Documentation/examples of how external third-party modules or services have been successfully integrated into your system in other aviation/government deployments.

c) How your architecture enables or requires the use of interchangeable modules/components from multiple vendors (plug-and-play, containerization, microservices marketplaces, etc.).

d) How do you ensure backward and forward compatibility for evolving interfaces. Specifically, explain the mechanisms, design choices, or contractual terms that ensure the FAA retains flexibility and management over its data, systems, and future solution options. How does your solution support portability, interoperability, and ease of migration to alternative vendors or platforms?

2. Provide detailed descriptions and evidence of the following measures.

a) Data Portability: Contract clauses and technical procedures for FAA to export all data (including logs, configurations, transaction records) in common, non-proprietary formats at any time and without additional costs or penalties.

b) Exit Planning: Describe how your solution would manage migration to another provider or to in-house operations, and the support you would provide.

c) Source Code/Escrow: If proprietary software is involved, what source code escrow, documentation, or re-hosting options are available?

d) API Documentation: Explain how your solution leverages APIs for integration, including whether FAA and third parties can use these APIs without requiring your company’s proprietary connectors or gateways.

3. How will your company support ongoing, independent verification of interoperability, data extraction, and module exchange throughout the contract lifecycle?

a) For instance, will you allow periodic “portability fire drills” or simulated integrations, in partnership with FAA or its designated third parties, to prove that protections are maintained in practice?

3. Support for Modularity and Third-Party Services Integration

a) Describe how your solution supports modularity and the integration of third-party services. Include details regarding your system’s architecture, APIs, support for open standards, and historical examples (if any) of successful third-party integrations. Discuss how you enable the FAA to add, remove, or replace system modules and integrate external technologies with minimal disruption.

b) As a solutions provider how would you also act and preform in order to integrate existing and new software and services from other vendors into your products and solutions. How would success for this integration be incentivized.

4. Describe how your solution helps the FAA realize both operational and sustainment cost savings over the lifecycle of the system.

What mechanisms, design features, or service models do you offer to optimize ongoing operations and maintenance costs?

a) How does your solution enable efficient scaling, resource utilization, or automation to reduce expenses?

b) In what ways do you support transparency of costs, budget predictability, and cost control for the FAA?

c) Provide examples or case studies (where applicable) demonstrating realized cost efficiencies and long-term value.

Point of Contact To contact the FAA relating to this RFI, use this email address: David.L.Reynolds@faa.gov

Submittal Requirements Respondents should provide:

· Detailed technical responses to each question, including architecture diagrams and case studies where applicable.

· Quantitative and qualitative evidence of capability, such as performance metrics, reliability statistics, and user satisfaction data.

· Descriptions of innovation, adaptability, and lessons learned from previous large-scale automation deployments.

· Contact information

Responses must be submitted to the Government at the email address above no later than 4 p.m. eastern standard time on December 19th, 2025. Please note FAA will hold vendor responses confidential and they will not be publicly disclosed.

image1.emf