Space Force Weather Services Research

Mission — SF Weather Services Research source

This budget activity funds the development necessary to evaluate integrated technologies and models for future operationalization into segments of the Space Force Weather Services (SFWS) in support of three lines of effort. To improve readiness for a more lethal force, SFWS provides timely, accurate, resilient and relevant environmental information, to include space and terrestrial weather, for global battlespace situational awareness for Air Force (AF), Army, Special Operations Forces (SOF), Space Force (USSF), combatant commands, the Intelligence Community (IC), and other government agencies. SFWS capabilities at home station and deployed provide critical environmental information in support of decision makers to gain the asymmetric advantage during the full spectrum of air and space combat operations. SFWS development enhances the lethality, effectiveness, and survivability of AF & SF weapon systems and precision munitions by modernizing capability and seeking the military advantage to accurately predict friendly and foe environmental impacts to optimize mission execution and planning, targeting, weaponeering, battle damage assessment, and space systems operations. To strengthen alliances and partnerships, SFWS development efforts integrate Department of Defense (DoD), government agency, commercial, and international partner environmental data with SFWS information system equipment for processing, storing, exploiting, and disseminating all-domain weather information for analysis, forecasting, mission integration, and greater interoperability. To ensure greater performance and affordability for the AF and SF, SFWS systems are being modernized through improvements to architecture and system efficiency, cybersecurity, joint all-domain command and control (JADC2) and sensing grid integration, migration to cloud computing, and expanding agile software development practices. SFWS aligns activities under four capability areas: Weather Data Collection, Weather Data Analysis and Dissemination, Weather Forecasting, and Product Tailoring/Warfighter Applications (PTWA). This alignment ensures an integrated and systems-oriented approach to program management decisions. A portion of the Weather Forecasting capability is addressed by RDT&E, BA 04, PE 0604002S, Project 645353 - Space Force Weather Services Research. Weather Forecasting provides global and regional advanced scientific numerical weather prediction capabilities for automated, high-resolution forecast products for mission planning and execution. Space weather modeling assists in characterizing and forecasting the near-earth environment to the sun and enables space weather anomaly and space weather impact assessments. Weather Forecasting includes activities for Numerical Weather Modeling (NWM) and Space Weather Analysis and Forecast System (SWAFS). SWAFS is a software suite of 47 models and applications to ingest, process, and store space environmental data, run space environmental models to specify and forecast the near-earth environment, and run space effects characterization applications. This program element may include necessary civilian pay expenses required to manage, execute, and deliver SFWS for weapon system capability. The use of such program funds would be in addition to the civilian pay expenses budgeted in program elements 1206392SF and 1206398SF. This effort is in Budget Activity 4, Advanced Component Development and Prototypes (ACD&P), because efforts are necessary to evaluate integrated technologies, representative modes or prototype systems in a high fidelity and realistic operating environment.

Accomplishments & Planned Programs (1)