1. Battlefield Environment Division
Dr. Richard Shirkey
Team Leader Weather Research and Assessment Team
Battlefield Environment Division
Computational and Information Sciences
WIDA 13 March 2012

2. Battlefield Environment Division
48 Scientists & Engineers
2 Military
10 Technicians & Administrative
Majority Physicists and Meteorologists
CHIEF
Battlefield Environment
Division
Pamela Clark
Adelphi, MD
White Sands Missile Range, NM
CHIEF
Atmospheric Modeling Applications
David Knapp
CHIEF (A)
Atmospheric Sensing
Dr. Jiang Liu
CHIEF
Atmospheric Dynamics
Dr. Donald Hoock
Acoustic & E-O Propagation
Aerosol Characterization
Optical Imaging
Remote Sensing
Boundary Layer Research
Micro-scale Met Models
Turbulence & EO effects
Bio-inspired Applications
Nowcasting & Data Fusion
Tactical Decision Aids
Automated Weather Routing
Web Enabled Applications 2
Approved For Public Release; Distribution Unlimited

3. Atmospheric Modeling Applications Branch Strategic Vision
VISION: Lead developer of emerging technologies to build computationally feasible & accurate Nowcasting capabilities & weather decision support tools.
MISSION: Research and develop the most accurate and timely battlefield mission execution weather data and products for the Warfighter.
Weather Decision Support Tools
Army-scale weather forecast & “Nowcast” models
Support Intel Running Estimates and Artillery Meteorology
Warfighter Value Assessment
OBJECTIVES:
Develop next generation mission execution forecast model (Nowcast).
Web services & new/improved weather decision products at all echelons.
Assess Nowcast & weather tool accuracy & value added to Warfighter.

4. Current Operations: Aerostat Operations Support
U.S. Forces – Afghanistan (USFOR-A) Joint Urgent Operational Needs Statement (JUONS) for Improved Weather Forecasting (CC-0432)
Persistent Threat Detection System (PTDS) Length: 35m
Persistent Ground Surveillance System (PGSS) Length: 22m
Tailored Objective Analysis and Turbulence Parameterization for the 3DWF Diagnostic Wind Model
Weather Running Estimate-Nowcast (WRE-N) Coupled to 3DWF
My Weather Impacts Decision Aid (MyWIDA)
Atmospheric Hazard Assessment and Rules of Thumb for PSS Sites in OEF Theater
Local Met Sensors Feasibility Study and Demonstration
Over 30 Persistent Surveillance Systems either lost/damaged since January 2011 where weather was a significant contributing factor.
Very fine-resolution wind models and Nowcasts

5. Weather Information Processing
Theater Scale Forecast
Army Nowcasting
Weather Impacts/
Small Unit Decision
Support Tools
>3 hr forecasts
0-3 hr local tailoring
of Theater grids
Theater & nested grids for decision aids
Impacts/effects at each grid point
5-15 km grid res.
Local Battlefield Observations
<1 km grid res.
Weather Routing
Physics Based Micro-MET & Effects Modeling/Simulation
Weather Running Estimate-Nowcast Winds /Turbulence
MyWIDA
Forward Area Observations
EO/IR (TAWS) Acoustics (SPEBE)

6. 3D Weather Impacts

7. Atmospheric Dynamics Branch
Vision:
Provide highly detailed knowledge of Army relevant microscale environments, turbulence and propagation effects on systems
Mission:
Perform basic and applied research to measure, model, predict and understand the dynamics of the boundary layer atmosphere for its effects on Army systems and operations
Research Areas:
Atmospheric Turbulence and Effects Research
Oblate <-- Non-isotropy --> Prolate
MET in urban, mountain and forest terrain
Local-Rapid Evaluation of Atmospheric
Conditions (L-REAC) application
Boundary Layer Dynamics
Atmospheric Propagation Dynamics
Microscale Meteorological Modeling
Local-Rapid Evaluation of Atmospheric Conditions (L-REAC) Project
Google Earth display

8. Runs in less than a minute for immediate decisions
3D Wind Field (3DWF) Model for winds in urban, mountainous and forested terrain
Air Force highest resolution operational 1.67 km WRF forecast winds feed higher resolution 50m 3DWF for winds at 20 m AGL in mountainous terrain
3DWF TKE
Hazard Warning
3DWF is being implemented by the Air Force for daily operational support to the AF/ Army in March as part of the Aerostat JUONS effort.
Runs in less than a minute for immediate decisions
Also produces Turbulent Kinetic Energy (TKE) 3D profiles to warn of shear conditions.
The follow on Atmospheric Boundary Layer Environment (ABLE) Model will be a full physics forecast model for urban and mountainous terrain
2D ABLE flow

9. Bio-inspired Environmental Awareness
$4.5M ARL BED SBIR Program in bio-inspired environmental awareness for autonomous systems
Key Deliverables in FY12:
20 MK-2 InstantEye developmental test systems for early deployment evaluation
100 MK-3 systems for deployment using adaptive gust-rejection techniques developed under this SBIR program
This program currently has active:
Three Phase I SBIR
Two Phase II SBIR
One Phase III deployment SBIR
Proposals for follow-on FY13 Phase I SBIR
Wind turbulence both inside and outside buildings significantly impacts Micro and Nano Air Vehicle (MAV/NAV) autonomous hover and navigation through windows and small openings.
Based on insect and bird awareness sensors and autonomic processing a system is developed that has total awareness of its own mechanical state, can cope with minor damage and avoid collisions autonomously, freeing up the operator for attention to mission.
Physical Sciences Inc. (Andover, MA) MK-2 InstantEye
20 cm, 200g, DoD Rapid Reaction Technology Office and Marine Corps funded deployment
Future Nano Air Vehicles
will use more responsive adaptive flapping wing controls

10. Optical Turbulence and Propagation Theory and Characterization
Propagation effects models, propagation environments, and verification studies for TeraHertz and EO/IR Systems
Optical Turbulence Simulations
Simulated Passive THz mode, 40 m target range, NEP = 3 x W Hz-1/2, 100 Hz frame rate
Buffalo
T = -10 °C
Rel. Hum. = 30%
Abs. Hum. = 0.7 g/m3
Boulder
T = 20 °C
Rel. Hum. = 44%
Abs. Hum. = 7.6 g/m3
Basra
T = 43 °C
Abs. Hum. = 17.9 g/m3
Baltimore
T = 35 °C
Rel. Hum. = 90%
Abs. Hum. = 35.7 g/m3
Simulated Active THz mode, 80 m target range, 80 dB Dynamic Range
TeraHertz Imaging Technology Development
Humidity Fluctuation and Wind Turbulence Correlation Field Experiments
Lidar scan of water vapor
density fluctuations
Characterize Water Vapor (WV) and turbulent WV fluctuation effects on THz system performance
Deliver accurate, practical terahertz propagation models for various environments at any frequency in this under-exploited EM band for:
Covert and jam-proof collision avoidance
Pilot Degraded Visual Environment (DVE) imaging systems for future brownout solutions
High bandwidth secure local TOC THz networks providing compact, low power, adjustable FOV and range controllable communication links that have no frequency interference issues beyond the local area