NATCA Bookshelf

Raytheon Company is a leader in providing technology and innovation for defense, civil government, and cybersecurity solutions. Raytheon's Intelligence, Information and Services business's Standard Terminal Automation Modernization and Replacement System (STARS) team is responsible for sustaining, enhancing, and deploying STARS as part of the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) NextGen modernization of the U.S. air traffic control system, managed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Department of Defense (DoD). STARS replaces the legacy Automated Radar Terminal System (ARTS) with a single automation platform, under the Terminal Automation Modernization and Replacement (TAMR) initiative. To date, Raytheon has deployed 237 systems to FAA, 107 systems to DoD to more than 600 locations. Because of the close partnership with NATCA, the FAA, and Raytheon, deployment of STARS across the National Airspace System (NAS) has been successful and effective. Raytheon's Air Traffic Systems Automation Director Jack McAuley manages all of the organization's automation programs including STARS, NextGen Weather Processor (NWP), SWIM Terminal Data Distribution System (STDDS) and international ATC automation in multiple countries — all of Raytheon's forward-thinking initiatives that integrate with NATCA and the work of aviation safety professionals. "We consistently interact with all of the NATCA safety and technology reps, and we have a good relationship with NATCA Program Management Organization (PMO) Rep Jeff Woods," McAuley said. "It's important to us to know early what is important for operations and the controllers who use our technology. Technology isn't there for technology's sake. It's there to support the operation." McAuley and Raytheon Transportation and Support Services Intelligence Executive Technical Director Rachel Jackson say user input is the cornerstone to successful development and implementation of any new technology. "If NATCA didn't support it, we probably wouldn't bother with it," McAuley said. "I was in the FAA in the early STARS days, as a member of the STARS Computer Human Interface working group and as program manager for first Full-Service Level STARS at Philadelphia ATCT/TRACON. Without NATCA input we would not have been successful and be here today. I've valued that ever since." "I'm not an engineer or a controller, but I've learned the most about this business by being there for equipment transitions and implementations," Jackson said. "NATCA makes these transitions more structured, and is also able to work out and prioritize, not only capabilities, but also what the future ought to look like. "We see NATCA as part of the team. We need the users to be part of the process. You are no less important than anything you do day to day." Exhibiting at CFS in 2018, Raytheon brought a demo of the Multifunction Automation Rehosting System (MARS). The system consists of a large screen, which integrates the STARS display and can include additional capabilities such as an Information Display System (IDS), advanced weather, electronic flight strips, and everything else a controller might need on one display. "We demonstrated it, and based on the feedback we received at last year's CFS and other conferences, we made it more interactive, with a better keyboard and touchscreen," McAuley said. "We collected more than 50 comments from NATCA controllers that helped us make it better. Comments and suggestions came from both COMMUNICATING FOR SAFETY Wednesday, Sept. 18 8

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