SAM #693KA8-26-D-00018

FAA award for Digital Remote Tower implementation and evaluation

The FAA awarded a $200 million contract to support Digital Remote Tower systems at selected airports. - Government buyer: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), System Operations Contracts office. - Award and value: Definitized, single-award IDIQ contract with a stated award amount of $200,000,000. - OEM and technology provider: Frequentis (FRQ) is identified as the vendor and provider of the remote tower technology. Its system is described as the only one to have progressed through the FAA’s System Design Approval process. - Requested services: Deploy and evaluate remote tower technology at selected airports, including operational integration, data collection and analysis, remote sensing and communications performance assessment, and evaluation of infrastructure needs and scalability. - Program objectives and notable requirements: Support modernization of air traffic control services, particularly at rural and small-community airports, and inform future safety and policy decisions. The program is also tied to objectives in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024.

Description

Section 161 of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 laid the groundwork for the development and implementation of remote tower systems (RTSs) to support the modernization of air traffic control services. This initiative aims to explore and deploy RT technology as a cost-effective and efficient alternative to traditional air traffic control towers (ATCTs), particularly in rural and small community airports.

The RT program is designed to enhance the FAA's ability to integrate innovative technologies into the National Airspace System (NAS) while maintaining the highest standards of safety and efficiency. RTs provide Visual Flight Rules (VFR) services that extend air traffic control capabilities to underserved areas.

The RT program supports the modernization of ATCT infrastructures and promotes cost efficient tower solutions at VFR airports within the (NAS). The program facilitates the evaluation and deployment of RTs, ensuring that they seamlessly transition into real-world operational environments. This initiative supports the FAA's mission to modernize air traffic management and maintain safety and efficiency across the NAS.

Under FAA direction and safety oversight, selected airports will integrate and operationalize RT technology, leveraging the insights gained from the System Design Approval (SDA) at the Tech Center. Additional research goals and objectives for government-funded activities may be outlined for sites in specific tasks under the IDIQ. This will help the government evaluate and improve RT technologies in its efforts to continually improve the safety and efficiency of the NAS.

This will support the collection and analysis of data essential for:

1. Optimizing RT operations within a multi-runway operational environment.

2. Evaluating the performance and reliability of remote sensing and communication

technologies under varied operational conditions.

3. Assessing the infrastructure requirements and scalability of RTS in broader deployment and diverse airport settings.

4. Collecting operational data to inform future policy, safety approvals and implementation decisions.

Justification for a Direct Award is summarized as follows:

Frequentis (FRQ) is an established global provider of air traffic management and RT solutions. FRQ has deployed digital tower systems internationally and specializes in mission-critical communication and control systems for aviation environments. FRQ has worked in coordination with the FAA and the William J. Hughes Technical Center to develop, and configure, a RTS aligned with FAA safety, human factors, and operational requirements.

The FRQ RTS is the only solution that has progressed through the FAA’s SDA process to date. While other vendors offer RT technologies globally, no other system has achieved comparable advancement within the FAA’s design approval and integration framework. Selecting an alternative vendor at this stage would require duplicative design approval activities, additional technical evaluation, and extended safety validation, resulting in significant schedule delays and increased program costs.

The program’s reason to establish the RT Program is to comply with Section 621 of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, which mandates the development and deployment of RT technologies. This initiative aims to enhance air traffic management capabilities at rural and small community airports by integrating advanced RTSs into the NAS.

The program is also supporting FAA strategic objectives to modernize the NAS through implementation of innovative, scalable, and cost-effective technologies. RTSs provide a viable alternative to traditional air traffic control infrastructure, enabling expanded service capabilities while optimizing resource utilization across a diverse range of airport environments.

Currently, FRQ is the only vendor with a technically acceptable system to comply with the Reauthorization Act of 2024. To meet the requirements, the FAA must leverage the only system that has achieved the necessary level of technical maturity and alignment with FAA standards. While the FAA is actively conducting outreach to additional vendors to participate in the SDA process, onboarding and evaluating alternative systems will require additional time for design approval, testing and validation, and will not support immediate program timelines.

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