Reagan National Installs New Ground Radar After 2025 Midair Collision
The Department of Transportation announced Friday, August 14, 2026, that Reagan National Airport has installed a Surface Movement Radar Model 4 system to improve ground safety after the 2025 midair collision.[1]
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Reagan National is now the fifth U.S. airport equipped with the SMR-4, after Newark Liberty received the technology earlier in the week.[1] The DOT said it will invest $30.5 million over three years in safety and technology upgrades at Reagan National tied to the January 29, 2025 collision that killed 67 people.[1]
On January 29, 2025, a midair collision killed 67 people.[1] The National Transportation Safety Board's January 2026 report faulted systemic failures in airspace design, safety oversight and risk management by the Federal Aviation Administration and the U.S. Army.[1] Those findings prompted DOT and other agencies to accelerate technology upgrades at congested airports, culminating in the SMR-4 installation at Reagan National.[1]
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📌 Key Facts
- On Friday, August 14, 2026, DOT announced that Reagan National Airport has installed a Surface Movement Radar Model 4 (SMR-4) system.
- Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Reagan National is now the fifth U.S. airport equipped with SMR-4, after Newark Liberty received the technology earlier in the week.
- DOT plans to invest $30.5 million over three years in safety and technology upgrades at Reagan National tied to the January 29, 2025 midair collision that killed 67 people.
- The NTSB’s January 2026 report on the 2025 collision cited systemic failures in airspace design, safety oversight and risk management by the FAA and the U.S. Army.
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