National Airspace System: Status of FAA's Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System

STARS will replace controller workstations with new color displays, processors, and computer software at FAA and DOD terminal air traffic control facilities. The total number of facilities scheduled to receive STARS has fluctuated between 70 and 190 because some of the facilities have received interim systems and may not get full STARS. FAA is designing STARS to provide a platform that allows easy and rapid incorporation of new hardware- and software-based tools to help improve controllers productivity and make the nations airspace safer and managed more efficiently. For each acquisition project that the agency undertakes, FAA officially estimates, or develops baselines for, the projects life-cycle costs, schedule, benefits, and performance in a formal document called the acquisition program baseline. This baseline, which is approved by the Joint Resources Council, FAAs acquisition decision-making body, is used to monitor a projects progress in these four areas. The initial acquisition plan for STARS was approved in March 1996; and in September 1996, FAA signed a contract with Raytheon Corporation to acquire STARS. The initial strategy for STARS included two phases: (1) initial system capability, which was to provide the same functions as the equipment in use at the time and (2) final system capability, which was to implement new functions to help controllers move traffic more safely and efficiently.