ATM Modernization, Commercial

ERAM Achieves Initial Operating Capability at 6 Sites

By Tish Drake | February 6, 2012
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FAA and prime contractor Lockheed Martin on Monday announced that six sites have achieved initial operating capability in the En Route Modernization (ERAM) program. ERAM is now operational at Chicago, Los Angeles, Oakland, Albuquerque, Minneapolis and Denver. The centers in Salt Lake City and Seattle have been fully operational for more than a year.

ERAM, which replaces a 40-year-old system used at 20 FAA air traffic control centers, processes flight and radar data to deliver communications and generate display data for air traffic controllers. Next steps include transitioning these initial sites to continuous operations once safety and technical checks are complete, Lockheed Martin said.

“ERAM is the central technology that enables the evolution from a ground-based system to a satellite-based system of air traffic management – which will improve air travel for the American public,” said John Mengucci, president of Lockheed Martin’s Information System & Global Solutions–Civil business. “As we continue to support the FAA in the transition to this new, highly-complex system, our utmost priority is to ensure ERAM operates safely and efficiently- as it has been in Salt Lake City and Seattle.”

ERAM has suffered a series of deployment delays, due to software glitches at Salt Lake City. Those problems related to FAA’s $2.1 billion ERAM program are threatening to delay FAA’s multi-billion-dollar Next Generation Transportation System (NextGen) initiative. More

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