ATC
Though Airlines Slow to Equip, FAA Plans for Future With ADS-B
The FAA will provide a backup system for ADS-B consisting of layers of existing radar surveillance systems.
An FAA controller monitors the surface from the tower at Washington Dulles International Airport. (Photo: Bill Carey)
An FAA controller monitors the surface from the tower at Washington Dulles International Airport. (Photo: Bill Carey)

Despite airspace users’ slow progress toward meeting the 2020 ADS-B Out equipage mandate, the FAA is already considering which mix of radars will be retained to serve as a backup to the new ATC surveillance paradigm. The agency plans to provide the backup through a layered system of transponder-based and primary radars, said a senior FAA executive.


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