Putnam, Oklahoma gets first Indra next-gen ATM radar as part of US replacement push

Indra Group USA announced the successful commissioning of the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) first newly operational secondary radar, installed in Putnam, Oklahoma. This installation represents the first of 185 primary and secondary radars that are being deployed as part of the historic Radar System Replacement program to replace the nation’s aging, 1980s-era surveillance infrastructure. Indra is supplying state-of-the-art, fully digital radar systems designed to drastically reduce system downtime and latency. The successful operational launch of this first radar in Oklahoma signifies the real-world performance of Indra’s advanced electronics and proves the technology integrates with the FAA’s existing infrastructure. “The commissioning of this Indra Group USA’s first radar in Putnam is an achievement that demonstrates our role as a trusted technology partner to the FAA,” said Víctor Martínez, Executive Vice President of Air Traffic Management at Indra Group. “By delivering on this critical deployment, we are reinforcing the tremendous value of our radar contract and demonstrating our technical excellence in the field. This milestone, backed by our new domestic manufacturing capabilities, significantly strengthens Indra’s position as a trusted leader in the highly competitive U.S. Air Traffic Management market.” Putnam, Oklahoma, was chosen for this specific radar installation because it has long served as a critical, long-range radar hub for Oklahoma City’s air traffic control network. Because the infrastructure was already there, the FAA upgraded it first rather than building a new facility. The choice of Putnam relies on three main factors: Existing Strategic Infrastructure: Putnam is home to an established long-range beacon interrogator site. It feeds real-time flight data directly to the Terminal Radar Approach Controls (TRACONs) and Air Route Traffic Control Centers that manage Oklahoma’s airspace. Proximity to the FAA Center (OKC): Putnam sits just northwest of Oklahoma City. This places it right next to the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center, the central hub for FAA training, logistics, and engineering. Upgrading Putnam first provides instant, high-tech operational redundancy for the local Oklahoma City air traffic controllers. Flat Terrain for Clean Signals: Geographically, the wide, flat plains of western Oklahoma offer an ideal, unobstructed environment for testing a next-generation secondary surveillance radar without interference from mountains or dense urban skyscrapers. By starting at an existing, critical node like Putnam, the FAA was able to test how Indra’s new digital electronics integrate with current infrastructure before rolling the technology out to the rest of the country. To meet the demanding timeline and the substantial surge in production capacity required by the FAA, Indra Group USA recently inaugurated a new 125,000-square-foot manufacturing Center of Excellence in Olathe, Kansas. This $50 million investment will house the dedicated radar assembly lines needed to fulfill the FAA contract while also creating 200-plus high-quality local jobs. Beyond radar manufacturing, the new Olathe facility will handle high-volume production of critical communications and defense technology. The facility will manufacture up to 46,000 advanced NEXCOM digital radios, capable of analog and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) operations, and DME systems for the FAA, as well as portable Tactical Air Navigation (MP-TACAN) systems for the U.S. Air Force. For Editorial Inquiries Contact: Editor Matt Driskill at [email protected] For Advertising Inquiries Contact: Head of Sales Sally Passey at [email protected]