The Federal Aviation Administration is seeking a Common Automation Platform, or CAP, that would give air traffic controllers access to flight data and facilitate the movement of aircraft from one facility to another.
Table of Contents
What Is FAA’s Common Automation Platform Plan?
The agency said Thursday that CAP will consolidate the En Route Automation Modernization, or ERAM, system and the Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System, also known as STARS.
FAA is not the only agency in the process of modernizing its legacy systems. Learn more about ongoing modernization initiatives across the government at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2026 Digital Transformation Summit on April 22. Purchase your tickets to the GovCon event here.
ERAM manages high-altitude traffic at 20 air route traffic control centers, while STARS handles flight tracking and coordination at terminal radar approach controls facilities and air traffic control towers.
In a request for information posted on SAM.gov Wednesday, FAA said it wants to hear input from industry about new technologies, procurement strategies, implementation structures and other considerations to enhance CAP. The agency is also open to proposed approaches that would re-architect ERAM and STARS or other existing automation systems.
Responses are due on Dec. 19.
According to FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford, CAP is intended to improve safety, reduce delays and support future airspace needs.
“Under this administration’s leadership, we’re going to give our hard-working air traffic controllers the technology they deserve at their fingertips,” he stated.
Why Is FAA Modernizing Its Air Traffic Control System?
The effort is part of the Department of Transportation’s plan to modernize its air traffic control system following a September 2024 report from the Government Accountability Office, which found that 37 percent of the FAA’s 138 air traffic control systems were rated unsustainable.
DOT already issued a proposal solicitation for a new air traffic control system and said it would select a prime integrator to oversee the project. The department said it will also use a new type of procurement contract to accelerate the process of hiring contractors.
DOT and FAA are aiming to deploy the new air traffic control system within three to four years.
Related Articles
Rear Adm. Stephen Tedford will officially assume leadership of the Defense Contract Management Agency, or DCMA, after being confirmed by the Senate. DCMA said Thursday Tedford was also promoted to vice admiral as part of his Senate confirmation. “Rear Adm. Tedford is an exceptionally experienced naval aviator, engineer, commander and program manager,” said Sonya Ebright, acting director of DCMA. “I look forward to his leadership and know that DCMA will be in great hands.” According to a congressional notice, the Senate confirmed Tedford as director of DCMA in October. Who Is Rear Adm. Stephen Tedford? Tedford currently serves as program
The Defense Information Systems Agency has awarded an other transaction agreement worth approximately $931 million to advance data center modernization under the Defense Cloud Instance, or DCI, initiative. Be part of the conversation shaping government and military technology at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2026 Digital Transformation Summit on April 22. Hear from experts on AI, cyber and enterprise IT. Sign up today to secure your spot! DISA said Thursday the OTA will expand global infrastructure capacity to support capabilities across all services in various operational theaters. According to the agency, the effort is a core element of the DISA Cloud
Broader engagement with the commercial technology sector is driving a shift in how the National Reconnaissance Office develops and fields new capabilities, said Chris Scolese, NRO director and a five-time Wash100 winner, at a conference hosted by the Center for Strategic & International Studies and the Hudson Institute on Thursday. How Is Commercial Industry Changing NRO Operations? He particularly noted how lower launch costs and more frequent access to orbit are enabling the agency to deploy spacecraft at a faster and more frequent rate. “When launch was expensive, you didn’t want to put a cheap thing on an expensive booster,”