The U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration have awarded contracts to begin replacing the nation’s aging ground-based radar system, agency officials announced.

“Our radar network is outdated and long overdue for replacement,” said FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford. “Many systems have exceeded their intended service life, making them increasingly costly to maintain and difficult to support. These new radar systems will return production to the United States and provide a critical surveillance backbone for the National Airspace System.”

The contracts, awarded to RTX and Indra, call for the replacement of 612 radars by June 2028. Installation is scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2026 and will proceed on a rolling basis, with priority given to high-traffic airspace, FAA officials said.

As part of the modernization effort, the FAA will also consolidate the 14 different radar configurations currently operating across the National Airspace System, a move expected to streamline maintenance and improve logistical efficiency.

For more information, visit FAA.gov.