1. B. Zolesi *, Lj.R. Cander **, A. Belehaki ***, I.Tsagouri ***, M.Pezzopane * and S.Pau * Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Italy; ** Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, UK; *** National Observatory of Athens, Greece. WP 200 has three objectives: 1.to develop a software tool for the real-time mapping of the ionosphere over Europe; 2. to certify its performance during geomagnetically quiet and disturbed time periods; 3.to ensure its reliability in a way that it will be a useful tool for large number of users concerned with terrestrial and Earth- space telecommunication systems. Geomagnetic Indices Forecasting and Ionospheric Nowcasting Tools, Work Package 200

2. Ionospheric Nowcasting Tools (INT) provide the ionospheric nowcasting maps of the maximum electron density (foF2) and of the transmission factor M(3000)F2 in a region of main interest for the users as described in the GIFINT technical proposal. The web site http://pcfede.ifsi.rm.cnr.it/ was built in order to provide maps of foF2 and M(3000)F2 in real time, updated every hour, over Italian and near Balkan regions as required by two principal users.http://pcfede.ifsi.rm.cnr.it/ User Requirements for the INT tools

3. Evaluation of user satisfy A technical meeting was held in the Laboratories of the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia on 22th April 2005 to review, together with the Italian Military users, the applicability and the performances of the scientific products released by the GIFINT pilot project. The different outputs of GIFINT, displayed on the web, were discussed in details taking into account the peculiar point of view of the user. A great importance was given by the representative of the Italian Ministry of Defense to the possibility of monitoring, in real time, the radio propagation conditions over the Central Mediterranean Area and the near Balkan region. Maps of the ionospheric parameters, hourly updated, have been particularly appreciated to be used in the real time management of the HF radio frequencies as well as the prediction of the geomagnetic index Dst as a precursor of geomagnetic disturbances and as a source of possible failures in radio communications.

4. Business plan Financial needs for the continuation and maintenance of the wp200 products along next years are: 1.30% time of one person dedicated to the web situs display and to the instruments control ………….…12K euro/Year 2.Spare parts for the two ionosondes and antenna array…… ……………………………………………….5Keuro/Year 3.Amortization of two ionosondes, estimated 50K euro each, along 10 years … …………………….………10keuro/year 4.Total per year …………………………………27 Keuro

5. Perspectives for improvement 1.Real time f-plots of the additional ionospheric parameters such as fmin, foE and foF1; 2.Electron density profiles over the two ionospheric stations; 3.Real time maps of the Maximum Usable Frequency (MUF) from specific point of transmission; 4.Alerts. 5.The mentioned improvements are conditioned to the technical evolution of the auto scaling method applied and to the scientific plan of work to be agreed among the wp200 partners; these improvements do not modify the conclusions.