IV.M.01—Target Area Meteorology.  Exploit data from all available sources on the battlefield to include meteorological satellites, and through mesoscale modeling, fuse these data with digital terrain data to produce 4D weather forecast information at temporal and spatial resolutions adequate to characterize target area meteorology. By FY95, develop an automated 12–hour forecasting capability to support Joint and Combined Operations and generation of target area decision aids. By FY96, exploit satellite and ground–based remote sensors such as wind radars, lidars, and radiometers to characterize the atmosphere and analyze available upper air met data to produce a "best met" for any user within the battlefield area. Leverage advances in tactical observing, computer architecture, artificial intelligence, and numerical methods to extend forecast capability to 24 hours by FY97, and 48 hours by FY99. Develop met software for automatic fire control procedures by FY98 and integrate with the ballistic module in the artillery fire control center by FY99.

Supports: PM EW/RSTA, PM AF, CERDEC development of Target Area Meteorological Sensor System (TAMSS), PEO CCS—Project Director (PD) IMETS, Joint Precision Strike ATD.

IV.M.04—Weather Effects and Battlescale Forecasts for Combat Simulation and Training. Integrate improved battlescale forecasting, real–time weather and environmental effects models to provide common, unified weather effects, features and representations for: Force XXI Advanced Warfighting Experiments (AWE); the Intelligence Electronic Warfare (IEW) Technology Investment Strategy; TRADOC combat models and Distributed Simulations such as the Synthetic Theater of War (STOW) Campaign Plan, and for Brigade Task Force XXI mission rehearsal. In FY97, within the IEW Common Operating Environment (COE) extend the Battlescale Forecast Model to provide weather forecast data for Distributed Interactive Simulation (DIS). By FY98, implement advanced algorithms for acoustic–propagation, illumination and visibility, terrain–coupled transport/diffusion and EO propagation effects at multiple levels of fidelity for environmental representations, Integrated Weather Effects Decision Aids (IWEDA) and battlefield visualization tools to support simulations and Division XXI mission planning. By FY99, incorporate an Improved Battlescale Forecast Model for forecast representations of clouds, fog, severe weather (rain) and improved battlefield aerosol diffusion at tactical scales. By FY00, assess improvements provided by shared battlescale weather forecasts, distributed weather processing for M&S and physics–based atmospheric feature and effects models. By FY01 demonstrate interoperability of verified/validated Unified Battlescale Weather and Battlescale Atmospheric Effects Models as a real–time Own the Weather capability for FORCE XXI situation awareness, mission planning and training.

Supports: Brigade XXI and Division XXI AWE’s, IEW Technology Investment Strategy, and Synthetic Theater of War (STOW) Campaign Plan.

IV.M.05—Weather Impacts and Decision Aids (WIDA) for Mission Rehearsal, Training, and Battle.  Improve battlefield Weather Impacts and Decision Aids (WIDA) so that current forecast weather and predicted impacts on systems and operations produced by the fielded IMETS are also usable in mission rehearsal, training and combat simulations and so that we "train as we fight." Quantify weather impacts to improve current qualitative "red–yellow–green" stoplight outputs from integrated Weather Effects Decision Aids (IWEDA), developed under STO IV.M.3 for the fielded Integrated Meteorological System (IMETS) and the Army Battle Command System (ABCS) Battlefield Automated Systems (BAS). Weather effects decision aids are included under the Defense Technology Area Plan (DTAP) SE35, Combat Weather Support. In FY98, extend IWEDA rule–based warnings and qualitative weather impacts by upgrading its artificial intelligence techniques to incorporate quantitative atmospheric effects and system performance. By FY99, incorporate quantified impacts of acoustics, illumination, propagation, smoke obscuration, terrain–coupled wind transport, and weather forecasts. By FY00, extend weather–impact models and decision aids to produce quantitative, four–dimensional (4D) weather impacts incorporating improved battlescale forecasts and atmospheric effects on weapons systems and operations. By FY01, upgrade models for characteristics and weather impacts on threat platforms and weapons. By FY02, integrate improvements back into IMETS to upgrade tactical Army Battle Command System weather–impact and decision aids.

Demonstrate during Division Task Force XXI Advanced Warfighting Experiment (AWE) in FY98, Corps Task Force XXI and follow–on AWE’s, incorporating Battlescale Weather forecasts and effects for consistent play of real–time Own the Weather capability for Force XXI situation awareness, mission planning, and combat training.

Supports: PEO C³S, ABCS, TFXXI, IEW Technology Investment Strategy, Synthetic Theater of War (STOW) Campaign Plan.

IV.M.06—Advanced Geospatial Management for Information Integration and Dissemination (AGMIID).  AGMIID will develop and demonstrate an automated capability for geospatial data management, based upon feature/attribute linking, supporting the dissemination and integration of geospatial data and information at distributed user locations. AGMIID will demonstrate management technology of increasingly complex (point, line and area) features and functionality over the period of the program. FY98 will initiate the standards process defining link structure for all feature types and complete development of point datalinking. FY99 will see the completion of the standards and definition process, initiate linear feature management development and demonstrate the management, dissemination, and integration of point data and information. FY00 will see the initiation of areal feature management, completion of the linear feature management and development effort and demonstrate the management, dissemination and integration of point/linear data and information. In FY01, demonstrate and test the management, dissemination and integration of point, linear and areal data and information.

IV.M.07—Rapid Mapping Technology.  Develop software and integrate into an automated terrain information system the capability to rapidly extract and properly attribute geospatial information of importance to Army and DoD customers from multisources with various resolutions, densities, and formats. By FY98, incorporate/test techniques for processing Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR)/Inferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (IFSAR) feature data into the Digital Stereo Photogrammetric Workstation (DSPW). By FY99, incorporate/test initial spectral imagery and SAR automated feature extraction capabilities. By FY00, incorporate automated feature extraction techniques from spectral, SAR and electro–optical sources into the DSPW software. By FY01, incorporate/test initial automated feature attribution capability based on terrain reasoning software and demonstrate the ability to manage, disseminate and integrate point, line and aerial data under operational conditions. By FY02, incorporate initial terrain reasoning capability and demonstrate initial automated feature extraction and attribution capability on the DSPW.