Space-based aircraft navigation system contract for FAA won by Raytheon
NewsSeptember 14, 2022
MARLBOROUGH, Massachusetts. Raytheon Intelligence & Space has won a $215 million contract to provide a technical refresh and Dual Frequency Operation (DFO) upgrades to the Federal Aviation Administration's Wide-Area Augmentation System (WAAS), a space-based precision navigation system, the company announced in a statement.
The contract, which lasts for 10 years and has a potential ceiling value of $375 million, is meant to make improvements to WAAS that "will enhance safer air travel in support of the National Airspace System," the statement reads.
"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," the statement adds. "It also provides corrections for SBAS-capable receivers in use across a diverse set of communities, including agriculture, maritime and surveyance, among others."
Raytheon has been the prime contractor for WAAS since 1996. The system achieved initial operational capability in 2003.
