DOT and FAA Select Peraton to Lead $32.5 Billion Air Traffic Control Overhaul

On December 4, 2025, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Bryan Bedford officially announced a major strategic shift in how the United States manages its aviation infrastructure. The agencies have selected Peraton, a national security and technology company, to serve as the “Prime Integrator” for a comprehensive modernization of the National Airspace System (NAS).

The initiative aims to replace aging air traffic control infrastructure with a “brand new” system by the end of 2028. This aggressive three-year timeline represents a departure from previous agency-led efforts, which officials noted often spanned decades. By centralizing project management under a single private contractor, the Department of Transportation (DOT) intends to accelerate the deployment of new radars, telecommunications, and automation systems.

The “Prime Integrator” Strategy

Historically, the FAA has managed individual technology programs in-house. However, Secretary Duffy emphasized that the complexity of modernizing the entire airspace requires a different approach. Under this new model, Peraton, a Virginia-based company owned by private equity firm Veritas Capital, will act as the general contractor. They will be responsible for overseeing subcontractors, managing risk, and integrating disparate technologies.

In the official announcement, Secretary Duffy highlighted the necessity of bringing in private-sector expertise for construction and integration tasks.

“We are thrilled to be working with Peraton because they share President Trump’s drive to modernize our skies safely at record speed… The FAA does a great job on safety, but they are not builders.”

, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy

Peraton was selected based on its experience in defense and federal IT integration. The contract is described by the FAA as “first-of-its-kind,” featuring a performance-based structure designed to reward on-time delivery and penalize delays. This mechanism aims to ensure accountability and protect taxpayer interests throughout the rapid development cycle.

Scope of the Modernization

The project involves a sweeping overhaul of the physical and digital “backbone” of the NAS. According to the details released by the FAA, the scope of work includes replacing legacy copper wiring with fiber optic and satellite connections and upgrading critical hardware across the country.

Key technical upgrades slated for completion by 2028 include:

• Surveillance: Installation of 612 new state-of-the-art radars and the replacement of surface radars at 44 major airports.
• Communications: Deployment of 27,625 new radios and 462 digital voice switches.
• Connectivity: Establishment of approximately 5,170 new high-speed telecommunications connections.
• Facilities: Construction of a new consolidated Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC), the first new center built since the 1960s, and information display upgrades at 435 control towers.

The initiative also targets specific regional safety concerns. In Alaska, the plan calls for the installation of 110 new weather stations and 64 weather camera sites to address the region’s unique aviation challenges.

Financials and Funding Gaps

The modernization effort carries a total estimated cost of approximately $32.5 billion. The administration has secured an initial $12.5 billion through the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” the administration’s flagship infrastructure legislation. However, officials were clear that significant additional funding is required to complete the full scope of the project.

FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford, a former airline executive, noted that while the initial funds provide a strong start, congressional action is needed to close the remaining $20 billion gap.

“The One Big Beautiful Bill gave us a strong $12.5 billion down payment… But to finish the job, and deliver the safer, more efficient system travelers deserve, we’re going to need another $20 billion.”

, FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford

AirPro News Analysis

The urgency behind this announcement is driven by deteriorating performance metrics within the current system. Administrator Bedford reported that flight delay minutes caused by equipment issues in 2025 were roughly 300% higher than the average recorded between 2010 and 2024. By shifting to a Prime Integrator model, the FAA is attempting to bypass the bureaucratic hurdles that plagued previous modernization programs like NextGen.

However, the request for an additional $20 billion may face scrutiny in Congress. While industry groups like Airlines for America (A4A) have supported the move to reduce delays, the feasibility of replacing such complex infrastructure in just three years without disrupting active air traffic remains a significant logistical challenge.

Sources

Sources: FAA Newsroom

NASA Unveils GlennICE: A Digital Leap for Aviation Safety

NASA has officially introduced GlennICE, a next-generation software code designed to revolutionize how the aviation industry predicts and prevents ice accumulation on aircraft. Developed at the Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio, this new tool addresses the limitations of decades-old legacy systems, offering high-fidelity 3D simulations critical for the safety of emerging aircraft designs, including eVTOL vehicles and sustainable commercial jets.

According to an announcement from the agency on December 4, 2025, GlennICE, short for the Glenn Icing Computational Environment, enables engineers to “flight test” designs digitally with extreme precision. By simulating how ice forms on complex surfaces like rotating propeller blades, engine interiors, and truss-braced wings, the software aims to reduce the reliance on expensive and time-consuming physical wind tunnel testing.

From 2D Legacy to 3D Precision

For over 20 years, the aviation industry relied primarily on LEWICE, a 2D coding standard also developed by NASA. While LEWICE proved effective for traditional “tube-and-wing” aircraft, it struggles to model the intricate geometries of modern Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) vehicles. NASA officials state that GlennICE was built specifically to bridge this gap.

Christopher Porter, the lead developer for GlennICE at NASA, emphasized the necessity of this evolution in the agency’s press release:

“The legacy codes are well formulated to handle simulations of traditional tube-and-wing shaped aircraft. But now, we have new vehicles with new designs that present icing research challenges. This requires a more advanced tool, and that’s where GlennICE comes in.”

Advanced Physics and Droplet Tracking

The core advancement in GlennICE is its use of Lagrangian droplet tracking. Unlike previous methods that utilized simple 2D strips, GlennICE simulates the trajectories of individual water droplets as they approach an aircraft. According to NASA technical reports, the software can track millions of droplets to calculate exactly which ones impact the surface and which are swept away by airflow.

Validation data indicates the software has demonstrated the ability to simulate over 134 million trajectories to ensure safety-critical accuracy. This capability allows it to model various hazardous icing conditions, including:

• Rime Ice: Rough, opaque ice that forms instantly upon impact.
• Glaze Ice: Clear, heavy ice that can run back along the wing before freezing, altering aerodynamics significantly.
• Supercooled Large Droplets (SLD): Freezing rain or drizzle, which poses a severe threat to flight control surfaces.
• Ice Crystals: High-altitude particles that can melt and refreeze inside turbine engines.

Industry Adoption and Strategic Partnerships

The transition to GlennICE is already underway across the aerospace sector. NASA reports that “dozens of industry partners” are currently utilizing the tool to certify next-generation aircraft. Key collaborations highlighted in recent reports include:

• Boeing: Engineers are using GlennICE to predict ice formation on the Transonic Truss-Braced Wing (TTBW) concept, known as the X-66A. The software helps model ice buildup on the aircraft’s unique support struts, a task difficult to achieve with legacy 2D tools.
• Wisk Aero: As a subsidiary of Boeing focused on autonomous air taxis, Wisk utilizes the software to simulate icing on complex rotors and lifting surfaces, a critical step for AAM certification.
• Honeywell Aerospace: The company employs GlennICE to research “ice crystal icing” inside engines, a phenomenon linked to power loss events in commercial aviation.

AirPro News Analysis

The release of GlennICE represents a pivotal moment for the Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) sector. As manufacturers of eVTOLs and delivery drones push toward commercial certification, they face stringent safety requirements regarding flight into known icing (FIKI) conditions. Physical testing for every potential icing scenario is financially prohibitive and logistically difficult given the limited availability of specialized facilities like the NASA Icing Research Tunnel.

By providing a validated “digital twin” capability, NASA is effectively lowering the barrier to entry for sustainable aviation startups. If regulators accept GlennICE data as a partial substitute for physical testing, similar to how CFD is used in aerodynamics, it could significantly accelerate the timeline for bringing autonomous air taxis to market.

Validating the Digital Twin

To ensure the software’s predictions match reality, NASA validated GlennICE using data from the Icing Research Tunnel (IRT), the world’s oldest and largest refrigerated wind tunnel. This process ensures that the digital simulations align with physical physics, allowing engineers to trust the software for scenarios that are difficult to replicate physically.

Porter noted the importance of this capability in the official release:

“Some environments we need to test in are impractical with wind tunnels because of the tunnel size required and complex physics involved. But with GlennICE, we can do these tests digitally.”

Version 5.1.0 of the software, released in early 2025, introduced standardized verification frameworks, further solidifying its role as the new industry standard for icing research.

Sources

• NASA: NASA Software Raises Bar for Aircraft Icing Research
• NASA Technical Reports Server: GlennICE Verification and Validation v5.1.0

This article summarizes reporting by NPR and The Associated Press.

Deep-Sea Search for MH370 to Resume December 30 Under “No Find, No Fee” Deal

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 (MH370), one of aviation’s most enduring mysteries, is set to resume later this month. According to reporting by NPR and The Associated Press, the Malaysian government has confirmed that the marine robotics firm Ocean Infinity will restart operations on December 30, 2025. The mission operates under a strict performance-based contract, with a financial reward contingent entirely on success.

This renewed effort marks a significant development in the decade-long quest to locate the Boeing 777, which vanished on March 8, 2014, with 239 people on board. As reported by the Associated Press, the government has stipulated a payment of $70 million to Ocean Infinity, but only if the wreckage is located within a 55-day timeframe.

Operational Details and Financial Stakes

The upcoming mission is technically a resumption of an effort that began earlier in 2025 but was suspended in April due to hazardous winter conditions in the southern hemisphere. The structure of the agreement places the financial risk squarely on the contractor.

Under the “no find, no fee” terms outlined in reports, Ocean Infinity will bear the upfront costs of fuel, personnel, and equipment. The Malaysian Ministry of Transport has indicated that the $70 million reward is payable only upon positive identification of the debris field. This model incentivizes efficiency and the use of cutting-edge technology to cover ground quickly.

According to operational details surfacing in recent reports, the search window is limited to 55 days of intermittent searching. This duration accounts for the transit time required to reach the remote search zone and potential pauses necessitated by the volatile weather patterns characteristic of the southern Indian Ocean.

Technology and Target Zone

The search strategy relies heavily on advanced autonomous systems. The primary vessel for this mission is identified as the Armada 78 06, a 78-meter robotic vessel from Ocean Infinity’s fleet. Unlike previous searches that relied on towed sonar arrays connected to crewed ships by miles of cable, the Armada fleet utilizes UAVs.

These UAVs are capable of scanning the seabed with higher resolution and greater speed. They can operate simultaneously, covering vast swathes of the ocean floor while the surface vessel monitors data acquisition. The target area for this phase covers approximately 15,000 square kilometers (roughly 5,800 square miles) in the southern Indian Ocean.

Experts and independent researchers, including the “UGIB” group (Ulich, Godfrey, Iannello, and Banks), have advocated for this specific zone. Based on refined analyses of satellite “handshake” data and debris drift modeling, the search will focus on the vicinity of the “Seventh Arc,” specifically between latitudes 33°S and 36°S near the Broken Ridge underwater plateau.

AirPro News Analysis: The Shift to Autonomous Search

The deployment of the Armada 78 06 represents a pivotal shift in deep-sea salvage and search operations. Previous efforts, such as the Australia-led search from 2014 to 2017, were hampered by the logistical difficulties of towing equipment at extreme depths. The tethered approach limited maneuverability and required slow towing speeds to prevent cable breakage.

By utilizing untethered AUVs, Ocean Infinity can decouple the sensors from the surface conditions to a significant degree. This allows the sensors to hug the rugged terrain of the Indian Ocean floor more closely, potentially revealing wreckage that might have been obscured in the “shadows” of underwater mountains during previous lower-resolution scans. If successful, this mission could validate the economic viability of autonomous fleets for high-stakes oceanography.

Stakeholder Reactions and Historical Context

The disappearance of MH370 remains a painful open wound for the families of the 227 passengers and 12 crew members. Family associations, particularly Voice370, have consistently lobbied for the search to continue, arguing that finding the hull is essential for global safety.

Prominent family members have publicly stated that preventing future recurrences requires a definitive understanding of what happened to the aircraft. The Malaysian Ministry of Transport has echoed this sentiment, stating that the resumption of the search underscores their commitment to providing closure.

This is not the first time Ocean Infinity has attempted to solve the mystery. In 2018, the company conducted a similar “no find, no fee” search covering over 112,000 square kilometers. While that mission ended without success, the technology has evolved significantly in the intervening years. The Chinese government, representing the majority of the passengers, continues to monitor these developments closely.

Sources

Sources: NPR / The Associated Press