FAA awards contract for new radio systems

FAA awards contract for new radio systems

• Aug 01, 2001

By Preeti Vasishtha

GCN Staff


AUG. 1—The Federal Aviation Administration has awarded a $20.5 million contract to ITT Industries Aerospace/Communications to develop new radio transmitter and receiver systems.

The Fort Wayne, Ind., company—working with Federal Data Corp. of Bethesda, Md., Operational Technologies Services Inc. of Vienna, Va., and Park Air Systems of Annapolis, Md. —will provide FAA with multimode VHF air-to-ground systems.

FAA said the new radios will help improve air traffic communications three ways:

• Increase controllers' access to the VHF aeronautical frequency band
  
• Reduce air-to-ground radio frequency interference
  
• Enhance security.

FAA will deploy the first systems sometime next year. After operational testing, the agency will install them at 1,500 sites.