By Daryl Mayer
ESC Public Affairs

The National Airspace System Modernization Program received the green light from new Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Kenneth J. Krieg to move into full rate production June 7th.

The program replaces older analog systems, some more than 40 years old, with state-of-the-art radar, communications and tracking systems at hundreds of Department of Defense and civilian air terminals throughout the United States. The FAA is serving as acquisition lead for civilian terminals. The Air Force Electronic Systems Center is the acquisition lead for all DoD sites.

“This group of program managers, engineers, testers, logisticians, operators and many others from across the armed services, Federal Aviation Administration and industry has successfully collaborated to overcome many technical challenges,” said Lt. Gen. Chuck Johnson, ESC commander. “This is a tremendous example of what can be achieved when a group, even as diverse as NAS, partners as a team to reach a common goal.”

This decision primarily impacts two of the three systems that comprise the NAS modernization effort:

-- DoD Advanced Automation System, or DAAS (also referred to as STARS by the FAA), which is hardware and software that tracks and displays aircraft to air traffic controllers; and

-- Digital Airport Surveillance Radar, or DASR, which is the actual radar and tower itself.

The last of the three components, the Voice Communication Switching System, which upgrades air-to-ground and ground-to-ground communications, was already in full rate production.

The program had been operating under low rate production, meaning annual authorizations were required, for the last five years. Going into full rate production will allow the program office to execute the remainder of the modernization effort according to the original schedule, according to Lt. Col. Wayne Descheneau, NAS deputy program manager.

The Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center completed its testing and issued a report recommending full rate production to DoD in mid-December. The DoD Operational Test and Evaluation Directorate in turn studied the evaluation and concurred with the AFOTEC recommendation in March. This, in conjunction with DAAS and DASR’s proven track record under operational conditions at already upgraded sites, cleared the way for Sec. Krieg’s approval.