The Transportation Systems Center (TSC) of the US Department of Transportation utilized state-of-the-art advancements and pioneered automation concepts in delivering the Enhanced Traffic Management System (ETMS), which is serving the nationwide needs of the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA's) Traffic Management System. The author describes a multiple-part computer complex that supports new concept developments while permitting tested concepts and newly automated functions to be quickly implemented and used operationally by the FAA in daily traffic management activities. Noting the impact of ETMS, an explanation of traffic management functions highlights the role of automation. A description of the five-phase TSC R&D program is followed by explanations of the innovative aircraft situation display and how the ETMS works. The ETMS distributed architecture design, redundancy, networking, and fail-safe characteristics are presented, leading up to the achievement of a compressed life cycle to operational service. The author highlights design factors contributing significantly to rapid development, low cost, flexible system design, operational integrity, and timely operational enhancements. >