Contract to Modernize WAAS Awarded to Raytheon Intelligence & Space

The FAA has awarded a competitive indefinite delivery indefinite quantity contract to modernize WAAS (Wide Area Augmentation System) to Raytheon Intelligence and Space. The contract to modernize WAAS has a ceiling value of $375 million over the next 10 years.

"There is no margin for error during take-off, flight or landing."

Denis Donohue, president, Surveillance & Network Systems at RI&S

Task orders valued at $215 million were executed at contract award to provide technical refresh and Dual Frequency Operation (DFO) upgrades to the FAA's space-based precision navigation system, that will modernize WAAS and enhance safer air travel in support of the National Airspace System.

Under the WAAS DFO-2 contract, RI&S will deliver more modern, and therefore sustainable, processing, system security, and network architecture, while also adding dual frequency service.

Modernizing WAAS Will Enhance Aviation Safety

"There is no margin for error during take-off, flight or landing," said Denis Donohue, president, Surveillance & Network Systems at RI&S. "Our modernization effort for WAAS will improve system robustness during ionospheric events and ensure safety-of-life requirements continue to be met."

WAAS is a Satellite-based Augmentation System (SBAS), which provides GPS corrections for critical navigation for the aviation community, first responders and other government agencies, ensuring pilots can land safely in austere environments, despite weather challenges. It also provides corrections for SBAS-capable receivers in use across a diverse set of communities, including agriculture, maritime and surveillance, among others.

Raytheon Technologies has been the prime development contractor for WAAS since 1996. Since reaching initial operational capability in 2003, Raytheon Technologies and the FAA have developed and fielded dozens of enhancements expanding WAAS's precision approach capability, coverage area, and reliability, including improvements to the system infrastructure in preparation for Dual Frequency service. WAAS Dual Frequency service will enable increased system accuracy, integrity, and availability when subject to ionospheric perturbations, including solar storms.

Raytheon says there are 1,960 airports with a WAAS approach, and over 131,000 aircraft are equipped with WAAS-capable navigation systems.

Work for this effort is based in Fullerton, California.

(Source: Raytheon Intelligence & Space news release. Images provided and from file)