FAA starts the bidding for new air traffic control system contract

"While the contract has no ceiling value at this time, the scale of the effort will be massive given the numbers of facilities and equipment that needs to be replaced. Automation will also be heavily emphasized in this program to near-completely overhaul the current setup of myriad systems supported by patchwork updates over several decades. Bids for the appropriately-named "Brand New Air Traffic Control System" contract are due Sept. 21 and the FAA will pick a single prime integrator from that pool,"

"From there, the winner will have three-and-a-half years to implement the new system and be charged with doing so over two phases. The first will focus on acquiring new equipment and conducting technology refreshes aimed at creating a backbone for the overall modernization effort. Phase two will be much more complex as it involves the modernization, integration and transformation of the services, systems and platforms that enable operations across the entire National Airspace System."

"The integrator's responsibilities cover both the technical aspects of systems integration and managerial components, inclusive of subcontractor management and risk reduction. One industry team has already declared its intention to pursue the contract. Parsons has enlisted IBM as a primary subcontractor for their partnership. The FAA has structured the contract in a hybrid form to cover task orders of various types such as cost-plus award fee, cost-plus fixed-fee, cost-plus incentive fee, firm-fixed-price, time-and-materials and fixed-price."

The Federal Aviation Administration authorized industry to submit proposals for a comprehensive replacement of U.S. air traffic control systems. The program carries no current contract ceiling and emphasizes automation to overhaul decades of patchwork updates across facilities and equipment. Bids for the "Brand New Air Traffic Control System" are due Sept. 21, with a single prime integrator to be selected. The integrator will have three-and-a-half years and two phases: Phase one will acquire equipment and refresh core infrastructure (radar, software, hardware, telecommunications); phase two will modernize, integrate, and transform services, systems and platforms across the National Airspace System, involving about 74,000 equipment items. The integrator must handle technical integration, subcontractor management and risk reduction under a hybrid contract structure.

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