Raytheon Company’s Advanced Weather Interactive
Processing System team has tripled the bandwidth on the Satellite Broadcast
Network (SBN)/NOAAPort, the primary vehicle through which hydrometeorological
forecasting products are provided to the National Weather Service’s Advanced
Weather Interactive Processing System (AWIPS).
The SBN expansion
is critical to the performance of AWIPS, which gives forecasters access to data
and imagery from an array of weather sensors and satellites through interactive
workstations. AWIPS provides complex analysis and data integration for more
than 130 weather forecast offices and river forecast centers across the nation.
“Communications provides data the lifeblood of NWS
operations; and with the SBN expansion, forecasters using AWIPS will have
access to more precise data than ever, which is critical for improving
forecasts and warnings, and saving lives,” said Don Berchoff, director,
NWS Office of Science and Technology.
“Tripling the SBN bandwidth will also benefit
forecasts, warnings and other products for the mass media, emergency management
agencies and private weather services,” said Todd Probert, vice president
and chief operating officer of Mission Operations Solutions for Raytheon
Intelligence and Information Systems.
“The SBN expansion is part of the Raytheon AWIPS
team’s commitment to going beyond just simply meeting program objectives by
providing superior technical solutions to help the National Weather Service
achieve mission success,” Probert added.
The driving force of the bandwidth expansion and hardware
upgrade is to support the dissemination of additional data products over the
SBN/NOAAPort such as dual polarization radar products, GOES and POES satellite
products, and analysis and forecast products.
In addition to the expansion, the team also transitioned
the SBN to a Digital Video Broadcasting – Satellite – Second Generation service,
and provided for the incorporation of NOAA Weather Wire Service broadcasts into
the SBN as part of the Weather Radio Improvement Program.
Since 2005, Raytheon has been
NOAA’s partner for the operations, maintenance and evolution of AWIPS,
providing the integrated mission services required to sustain and enhance
system performance. AWIPS is used by the NWS to ingest, analyze and disseminate
operational weather data including time-sensitive, high-impact warnings that
save lives and safeguard property.
As the architect of the AWIPS evolution, Raytheon
designed, developed and is currently testing the system’s next-generation
software that features a service-oriented architecture. AWIPS II will improve
weather operations by bringing enhanced functionality to forecasters and help
guide environmental decision-making at the national, regional and local levels.
By Telecomlead.com Team
editor@telecomlead.com
