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FAA Opens Applications for Radar Data Pilot Program, Capped at Three Participants

The FAA is soliciting state, local, tribal, and territorial government entities to access sensitive National Airspace System radar data feeds under a congressionally mandated pilot program that sunsets in 2028.

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Program Overview

The Federal Aviation Administration has announced a solicitation for participants in its Radar Data Pilot Program (RDPP), established under Section 905 of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 (Pub. L. 118-63). The program directs the FAA Administrator, in coordination with the Secretary of Defense and other heads of relevant federal agencies, to make airspace data feeds containing Sensitive Unclassified Information (SUI) and Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) available to qualified users. Applications open on the Sam.gov website on June 26, 2026, and interested applicants are directed to that platform for further information.

Background and Rationale

According to the notice, Congress directed the FAA in 2024 to establish the RDPP to enable qualified non-federal entities to access radar data feeds for the purpose of enabling Air Traffic Management (ATM) and Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Traffic Management (UTM) services, or to test technologies that may enhance those services. The FAA states it will continue to consult with representatives of the UAS industry, UAS Test Site entities, and related technical groups to identify an efficient, effective, and secure format and method to provide data under the program.

Eligibility and Access Requirements

Eligible applicants are limited to U.S. State, Local, Tribal, or Territorial (SLTT) government entities comprised of legal U.S. residents that meet requirements for access to FAA National Airspace System (NAS) radar data feeds containing SUI and CUI. The notice explains that access will be limited to qualified users who demonstrate the requisite "need to know" and "duty to protect" requirements as outlined in FAA Order 1600.75, Protection of Sensitive Unclassified Information. The need-to-know criterion requires meeting a lawful government purpose, which the document specifies includes a demonstration that access to sensitive, unfiltered FAA NAS radar data will benefit the safety and other essential needs of the NAS.

Selected participants must enter into a legally binding Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) and an Interconnection Security Agreement with the FAA. The FAA's NAS Enterprise Security Gateway (NESG) will be used to facilitate provisioning of the radar data due to cybersecurity requirements. The notice cautions that the data feeds will carry no service level agreement regarding data latency or availability, and any provisioning will be constrained to a best-effort basis.

Participant Limits, Reporting, and Duration

Due to current infrastructure capacity and personnel resource limitations, the FAA states that the RDPP will be limited to no more than three (3) participants. Each selected SLTT entity that meets program requirements will be provisioned FAA NAS radar data for a period of time that supports the execution of their Concept of Operations (CONOPs), at the discretion of the FAA. Each participant will be required to provide periodic reports on the status of their efforts involving the use of FAA NAS radar data, which the agency states will inform its mandatory recurring annual status report to the appropriate committees of Congress. The RDPP is set to sunset on October 1, 2028.

The notice also specifies that participation in the pilot program does not alleviate an applicant from compliance with requirements for operating UAS in the NAS contained in the Code of Federal Regulations and the United States Code.

What to Watch

  • June 26, 2026: Applications open on Sam.gov.
  • October 1, 2028: The RDPP sunsets under the terms of the authorizing legislation.

Related

Sources

17 cited

Every hard fact above is grounded in and cited to a primary source record.

  1. The RDPP is established under Section 905 of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 (Pub. L. 118-63).

    federalregister.gov

  2. The program directs the FAA Administrator, in coordination with the Secretary of Defense and other heads of relevant federal agencies, to make airspace data feeds containing SUI and CUI available to qualified users.

    federalregister.gov

  3. Applications will open on the Sam.gov website on June 26, 2026.

    federalregister.gov

  4. Congress directed the FAA in 2024 to establish the RDPP to enable qualified non-federal entities to access radar data feeds for enabling ATM and UTM services or testing technologies to enhance those services.

    federalregister.gov

  5. The FAA states it will continue to consult with representatives of the UAS industry, UAS Test Site entities, and related technical groups to identify an efficient, effective, and secure format and method to provide data under the RDPP.

    federalregister.gov

  6. Access to data feeds will be limited to qualified users that demonstrate the requisite need to know and duty to protect requirements as outlined in FAA Order 1600.75, Protection of Sensitive Unclassified Information.

    federalregister.gov

  7. The need-to-know criterion requires meeting a lawful government purpose, including a demonstration that access to sensitive, unfiltered FAA NAS radar data will benefit the safety and other essential needs of the NAS.

    federalregister.gov

  8. Selected participants must enter into a legally binding Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) and an Interconnection Security Agreement with the FAA.

    federalregister.gov

  9. The FAA's NAS Enterprise Security Gateway (NESG) will be utilized to facilitate provisioning of FAA NAS radar data due to cybersecurity requirements.

    federalregister.gov

  10. The data feeds will have no service level agreement regarding data latency or availability, and any provisioning of the data will be constrained to a best effort basis.

    federalregister.gov

  11. Due to current infrastructure capacity and personnel resource limitations, the FAA anticipates that the RDPP will be limited to no more than three (3) participants.

    federalregister.gov

  12. Each selected SLTT entity participant will be provisioned FAA NAS radar data for a period of time that supports the execution of their Concept of Operations (CONOPs), at the discretion of the FAA.

    federalregister.gov

  13. Each participant will be required to provide a periodic report on the status of their specific efforts involving the use of FAA NAS radar data.

    federalregister.gov

  14. The periodic reports will assist the FAA in formulating the mandatory recurring annual status report concerning the status of the RDPP to the appropriate committees of Congress.

    federalregister.gov

  15. The RDPP will sunset on October 1, 2028.

    federalregister.gov

  16. Participation in the pilot program does not alleviate an applicant from compliance with requirements for operating UAS in the NAS contained in the Code of Federal Regulations and the United States Code.

    federalregister.gov

  17. Eligible applicants are U.S. State, Local, Tribal or Territorial (SLTT) government entities, comprised of legal U.S. residents, that meet requirements for access to FAA NAS radar data feeds containing SUI and CUI.

    federalregister.gov

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