Lockheed Martin has completed the software development phase of a program to modernizing the U.S. air traffic control system.

The En Route Automation Modernization (ERAM) program will now enter the integration and testing phase.

Development took 26 months. Now the testing is to start. This sounds remarkably un-agile.

Obviously, air traffic control is a mission- and safety-critical system and everything has to be documented to the nth degree.

However air travellers might be concerned that simulation of the network is only due to start. Presumably the testing will centre on performance and integration.

Testing will take place in the FAA Technical Center in Atlanta and the Lockheed Martin Laboratories.

Acceptance by the Federal Aviation Authority is due in October 2007. Deployment is due to take place in late 2009.

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