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

Battlefield Environment Division 48 Scientists & Engineers 2 Military 10 Technicians & Administrative Majority Physicists and Meteorologists CHIEF Battlefield Environment Division Pamela Clark 301-394-2500 Adelphi, MD White Sands Missile Range, NM CHIEF Atmospheric Modeling Applications David Knapp 575-678-4574 CHIEF (A) Atmospheric Sensing Dr. Jiang Liu 301-394-1442 CHIEF Atmospheric Dynamics Dr. Donald Hoock 575-678-5430 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

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.

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

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)

3D Weather Impacts

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

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 2012 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

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

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 10-12 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