Air Traffic Control: Immature Software Acquisition Processes Increase Faa System Acquisition Risks

Reviews the FAA's air traffic control modernization software acquisition maturity and improvement activities. FAA plans to spend billions of dollars replacing its existing air traffic control (ATC) systems upon which it will rely to ensure safe, orderly, and efficient air travel well into the 21st century. Software is the most expensive and complex component of these systems. However, the FAA has a history of performing poorly when acquiring these software-intensive systems. This report determines: the maturity of FAA's ATC modernization software acquisition processes, and the steps FAA has planned to improve these processes. Tables.