Air Control

The Air Control (PE 0604504N) program element in the Navy's Research, Development, Test & Evaluation (RDT&E) budget supports the development, integration, and testing of automated Air Traffic Control (ATC) hardware and software. Its primary objective is to improve flight safety and provide more reliable all-weather ATC and landing system capabilities at Naval Air Stations (NASs), Marine Corps Air Stations (MCASs), Fleet Area Control and Surveillance Facilities (FACSFACs), and on Navy ships worldwide. The program addresses the need to upgrade or replace aging ATC and landing system equipment, while also ensuring compliance with evolving cybersecurity and information assurance mandates.

The Marine Air Traffic Control and Landing Systems effort focuses on the continued development and integration of ATC and landing systems for Marine Corps expeditionary airfields. The program's goals include resolving obsolescence issues, implementing preplanned product improvements, and achieving compliance with Defense Information Infrastructure-Common Operating Environment Level 5. Key efforts involve integrating the Army's AN/TPN-31 ATNAVICS system, enhancing expeditionary ATC tower capabilities, and supporting Force Design 2030 initiatives. The program collaborates with the Marine ATC Working Group to identify and prioritize system improvements, including Mode 5/S integration and enhanced simulation and training features.

Carrier ATC supports the modernization and sustainment of shipboard ATC systems, including the development of the AN/SPN-50(V)1 as a replacement for the legacy AN/SPN-43C radar. The project funds engineering change proposals to address obsolescence, software integration, and cybersecurity vulnerabilities for both the AN/SPN-50 and AN/SPN-43C systems. Additionally, it supports phased upgrades to the AN/TPX-42A(V) Direct Altitude and Identity Readout (DAIR) system, incorporating open architecture technologies, updated software, and improved interfaces for emerging sensors. These efforts ensure that shipboard ATC systems remain operational, reliable, and compliant with current cyber requirements until full fielding of replacement systems.

ATC Improvement is dedicated to the engineering development, integration, and testing of new or modernized ATC systems, navigational aids, landing systems, and communications for NASs, MCASs, and Fleet ATC facilities. The project's objectives include maintaining compatibility and interoperability with the Federal Aviation Administration's evolving National Airspace System and supporting modernization initiatives such as the Visual Information Display System and the Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System. The project also evaluates alternatives for future processor, display, sensor, and communication systems to ensure continued safe and efficient air operations at Navy and Marine Corps facilities.

ATC Systems encompasses the Navy's Precision Approach and Landing System Capability and Landing System Upgrade Program, which are critical for safe aircraft landings on carriers and amphibious ships under adverse conditions. The project originally aimed to modernize legacy systems and develop the new AN/SPN-51 Brizo Landing System. However, with the cancellation of the AN/SPN-51 in FY 2025, the focus shifted to sustaining and upgrading legacy systems through modification kits and obsolescence mitigation. These efforts are essential to maintain precision approach radar and automatic carrier landing capabilities through at least 2040, ensuring continued support for both current and future air wing operations.

Across all projects within the Air Control program element, the Navy employs an evolutionary acquisition strategy, leveraging commercial off-the-shelf technologies and phased upgrades to address emergent operational requirements, reduce lifecycle costs, and enhance system supportability. The program coordinates closely with other military services, such as the Army for Marine Air Traffic Control and Landing Systems and the FAA for ATC Improvement, to ensure interoperability and efficient resource utilization. Funding adjustments in FY 2026 reflect Navy reprioritization and efficiency initiatives, with a particular emphasis on sustaining critical capabilities and addressing cybersecurity mandates in a constrained fiscal environment.