FAA Deploys 5th SMR-4 Radar at Newark, Targeting 53 Units at 44 Busiest Airports
Updated
Updated · Fox Business · Aug 11
FAA Deploys 5th SMR-4 Radar at Newark, Targeting 53 Units at 44 Busiest Airports
3 articles · Updated · Fox Business · Aug 11
Summary
Newark Liberty International Airport received the FAA’s fifth Surface Movement Radar Model 4, giving controllers all-weather tracking of aircraft and vehicles on runways, taxiways and final approach.
The SMR-4 replaces a 30-year-old radar that officials said can no longer be maintained because parts are unavailable, making the upgrade a key piece of the FAA’s airspace modernization push.
Bryan Bedford said the FAA plans to deploy 53 surface movement radars across the top 44 busiest U.S. airports, with the new system built in Syracuse as part of an onshoring effort.
FAA data showed 1,102 runway incursions so far in fiscal 2026, down from 1,197 a year earlier, while the DOT and FAA said they installed 96 related surface-awareness systems nationwide over the last year.