FAA installs advanced surface radar at Newark to curb runway incidents
The FAA has begun using a new Surface Movement Radar Model 4 at Newark Liberty International Airport to improve monitoring of aircraft and ground vehicles.
The Federal Aviation Administration announced the deployment of the Surface Movement Radar Model 4 at Newark Liberty International Airport, a system that can monitor aircraft and ground traffic regardless of weather or visibility. This installation replaces a 30-year-old radar and marks the fifth such system in the United States, with a goal of placing 53 at the country’s 44 busiest airports. Built in Syracuse, New York, the radar reflects the agency’s push to onshore critical infrastructure and revive American manufacturing jobs.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford emphasized the necessity of updating equipment that can no longer be maintained or sourced. The Department of Transportation reported 96 related surface-awareness installations nationwide in the past year, and FAA data shows runway incursions have fallen from 1,197 to 1,102 year-over-year.
Why it matters
Upgraded radar improves runway safety and supports U.S. manufacturing jobs.
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