Nichols Martin
Raytheon is working with the Federal Aviation Administration to develop a modern, software-based approach for aircraft tracking, Avionics International reported Friday.
The company aims to achieve a software-based system that allows for continuous modifications via software updates, rather than hardware additions.
The effort will modernize the performance of the Standard Terminal Automation System, or STARS, a platform that facilitates the command and control of data for radar control facilities.
Jackie Dent, STARS software and systems manager at Raytheon, told Avionics International that STARS“™ updates will streamline the air traffic management process while not necessarily using a new user interface.
The company aims to have a single baseline for STARS“™ hardware and software by the middle of the year.
Raytheon also developed the Multi-platform ATC Re-hosting Solution, or MARS, that will facilitate the entry of drones and future aircraft into airspace.
“It will introduce a new display to air traffic controllers that would allow them to continue using their existing keyboards or to start using a tablet as a virtual keyboard,“ said Dent about MARS.
