FAA Installs Surface Radars at Key Airports and Awards $74.3M to AT&T | Aviation International News

FAA Installs Surface Radars at Key Airports and Awards $74.3M to AT&T

KDCA and KEWR receive SMR-4 installations, while IDIQ AT&T covers coms

Surface Movement Radar installation at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport — Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is among the early facilities to receive the Surface Movement Radar-4 technology. © FAA

By Kerry Lynch • Editor, AIN monthly magazine

August 17, 2026

The FAA continues to move briskly forward on its effort to overhaul the air traffic control system, most recently with the addition of Surface Movement Radars (SMR) at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (KDCA) and Newark Liberty International Airport (KEWR). Installations mark continued improvements at two key airports, with KDCA coming under scrutiny in the aftermath of the nearby midair collision on Jan. 29, 2025, and Newark being plagued with communications issues in the months following.

Also part of its overarching effort, the FAA submitted a notice last week that it was awarding an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract to AT&T for the FAA Enterprise Network Services (FENS), encompassing a range of communications and information management systems. The initial award includes $74.3 million for early start-up planning and development activities.

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