UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS Mr. Samuel P. Williamson Federal Coordinator for Meteorology THE ROLE OF THE OFFICE OF THE FEDERAL COORDINATOR FOR METEOROLOGY

OFCM Background Global Earth Observing Systems Interdepartmental Hurricane Conference Potential UAS Applications Summary / Next Steps Overview

Public Law (1963) DOC Administrative Order OFCM formed in Jan Accountable to Congress and OMB Coordinate agency budgets Report budgets and activities in annual Federal Plan OFCM Historical Perspective GAO Study Revitalizes OFCM 1979 OFCM Background

Mission To ensure the effective use of federal meteorological resources by leading the systematic coordination of operational weather requirements, services, and supporting research, among the federal agencies High-level focus on: – Needs and requirements – Issues and problems – Studies, reports, plans, and handbooks – Crosscut reviews, assessments, and analyses

Aviation Weather Climate Analysis, Monitoring and Services Observing Capabilities Space Weather Surface Weather Cooperative (Applied) Research Environmental Services Urban Meteorology –Homeland Security –Air & Water Quality –Climate –Severe Weather Information Technology and Communications Modeling and Prediction OFCM Background Key Focus Areas / Agency Priorities

Homeland Security –Atmospheric Modeling of Releases from Weapons of Mass Destruction: Response by Federal Agencies in Support of Homeland Security (Aug 2002) –Federal Research and Development Needs and Priorities for Atmospheric Transport and Diffusion Modeling (Sep 2004) Transportation –National Aviation Weather Program Mid-Course Assessment (Aug 2003) –Weather Information for Surface Transportation: National Needs Assessment Report (Dec 2002) Urban Meteorology –Meeting Weather Needs in the Urban Community (Jan 2004) –Why Urban Meteorology Now? (Sep 2004) OFCM Background Examples of Completed Special Studies & Reports

National space weather program assessment Multi-functional phased array radar Data assimilation National wildland fire weather needs assessment Interagency strategic research plan for tropical cyclones OFCM Background Examples of Ongoing Special Studies & Reports

Federal Committee for Meteorological Services and Supporting Research (FCMSSR) Interdepartmental Committee for Meteorological Services and Supporting Research (ICMSSR) National Space Weather Program Council National Aviation Weather Program Council Environmental Services, Operations, and Research Needs Operational Processing Centers Environmental Information Systems and Communications Integrated Observing Systems Climate Analysis, Monitoring and Services Cooperative Research Working Group for Urban Meteorology Program Councils Federal Coordinator for Meteorology Standing Committees FCMSSR: SET POLICIES AND PRIORITIES ICMSSR: - Implements policy decisions - Makes policy recommendations to FCMSSR - Assess adequacy of federal programs and guides implementation of new interagency programs Standing Committees: - Document requirements, programs, and activities to provide framework for coordination and collaboration. - Perform analysis of agency programs to provide basis for National leadership to allocate funds to meet requirements Program Councils (funded programs/projects): - Can form committees or specialized groups (JAG/WG) to work specific projects, can interact w/academia/private sector OFCM Background Roles / Responsibilities

Departments of: Agriculture Commerce Defense Energy Homeland Security Science & Technology FEMA Coast Guard Interior State Transportation Environmental Protection Agency National Aeronautics and Space Administration National Science Foundation National Transportation Safety Board Nuclear Regulatory Commission Independent agencies: Executive Office of the President: Office of Management and Budget Office of Science and Technology Policy OFCM Background OFCM Partners

National Research Council (NRC) Board on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate (BASC) Climate Research Committee (CRC) US Climate Change Science Program (USCCSP) National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) American Meteorological Society (AMS) US Weather Research Program (USWRP) University Corp. for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) American Geophysical Union (AGU) OFCM Background OFCM Affiliations National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Committee on the Environment and Natural Resources (CENR) Subcommittee on Disaster Reduction (SDR) Subcommittee on Air Quality Research Interagency Working Group on Earth Observations

Why Suborbital –Deployable: target regional / local / ephemeral phenomena –Retrievable: payload change-out, repair, augmentation, reuse –Atmosphere-based: combine in-situ and remote-sensing, multi- scale process studies for model validation, satellite cal/val for climate-quality datasets Why UAS? –Endurance gap between hours-limited aircraft and years- capable spacecraft –Repetitive monitoring / hazardous conditions –Long-range access to remote locations for in-situ observations Global Earth Observing Systems

The OFCM annually hosts the Interdepartmental Hurricane Conference (IHC) Provide forum for responsible Federal agencies and user communities to –Review Nation's hurricane forecast and warning program –Make recommendations on how to improve the program in the future Major objective is to plan and prepare for upcoming hurricane season New procedures, procedural changes, and agreements related to tropical cyclone forecast and warning services –Documented for implementation in the National Hurricane Operations Plan 60 th IHC will be held in Mobile, Alabama: March 20-24, 2006 Interdepartmental Hurricane Conference

Action item from the 58th IHC (2004): –Develop an interagency document, “The Nation’s Tropical Cyclone Forecast And Warning Program: A Vision And Framework For Improved Operational Capability” In response to the action item, OFCM formed a joint action group –JAG members met at OFCM in February 2005 and the group conducted a strategic planning session during the 59th IHC –Began developing framework for the tropical cyclone research and development plan –Over the last several weeks, JAG members compiled: Information from the session conducted at the 59th IHC Countless other pertinent material –Drafted document, “Interagency Strategic Research Plan for Tropical Cyclones: The Way Ahead” Interagency Strategic Research Plan for Tropical Cyclones Interdepartmental Hurricane Conference Need to incorporate tropical cyclone UAS requirements into document

One of the action items from the 59th IHC was: –Develop a strategic plan for Improved Tropical Cyclone Reconnaissance System (ITCRS) (manned, unmanned, space-based…) On Sept. 16, 2005, a partnership between NOAA, NASA Goddard’s Wallops Flight Facility, and the Aerosonde Company led to first successful unmanned aircraft surveillance mission of a tropical storm Provided detailed observations of near- surface, high-wind hurricane environment, an area often too dangerous for manned aircraft surveillance Storm Reconnaissance - Tropical Cyclones Interdepartmental Hurricane Conference

Toth et al. (2000) (Based on Data From Winters ) NOAA’s Gulfstream IV aircraft and Air Force Reserve Command’s WC-130s fly missions from Honolulu and Anchorage –Targeted upper air observations in advance of significant West Coast winter storms 60-80% of forecasts improved because of targeted observations 12-hour gain in forecast lead time RMS forecast errors reduced by 10-20% Improvement similar to that achieved in last 20 years of advances in numerical modeling and data acquisition UAS Application? Potential UAS Applications

Purpose of workshop: engage climate / weather modeling communities to assess applicability of UASs in support of their work Other current / future UAS applications (non-military): –High-altitude imagery –Border patrol –Drug interdiction –Environmental sensing –Media and traffic reporting –Tactical law enforcement –Maritime surveillance –Stratospheric telecommunications airships –Nuclear accident appraisal –Forest and wildlife inspection Potential UAS Applications

Forest and wildlife inspection –NASA tested several APV-3s –Equipped with thermal sensors –U.S. Forest Service plans to use the UASs starting this year to patrol a dozen Western states Potential UAS Applications

Use of UASs by federal agencies will continue to grow –Opportunities for collaboration and leveraging for enhanced environmental data collection At OFCM: –Continue to work IHC action items –Monitor federal agency UAS activities In future, may need to form OFCM Airborne Reconnaissance Working Group Summary / Next Steps

QUESTIONS?

BACKUPS

United States Air Force also pursuing UAS tropical cyclone surveillance capability; conducting experiments in two phases: –Phase I (September 5 – 13, 2005): Partnering with NASA (Wallops Flight Facility) and Aerosonde Co. Tested sensor accuracy and aircraft endurance, maneuverability, operating ceiling, and multi-aircraft operations –Phase II (October 7 – November 22): Flew missions from Guam Collected meteorological data in tropical cyclone environment Air Force Weather Agency incorporated data into MM5 –Run model with / without UAS data Storm Reconnaissance Tropical Cyclones