Integrating weather in net-centric warfare: a case for refocusing human resources in air force weather

Air & Space Power Journal, Spring, 2008 by Scot T. Heckman

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THE WEATHER BRIEFER is obsolete, a victim of net-centricity. In a world where everyone is connected, people affected by weather will access related information directly and integrate it into their decision processes. No longer will "Stormy" the weather briefer, acting as both an expert and a bottleneck, serve as gatekeeper to weather databases. To remain relevant to net-centric operations, air force weather (AFW) must aggressively develop support for net-centric access and redefine the role of the weather briefer. Specifically, if it wishes to meet the demands of increasingly net-centric decision makers, despite a shrinking manpower pool, afw must automate the forecast-tailoring process, remove the weather briefer, and address inconsistency in the weather database.

Background

Understanding the interaction between net-centricity and AFW operations requires some awareness of the fundamental concepts of each. According to The Implementation of Network-Centric Warfare, "NCW [network-centric warfare] is characterized by the ability of geographically dispersed forces to attain a high level of shared battlespace awareness that is exploited to achieve strategic, operational, and tactical objectives in accordance with the commander's intent." (1) increased sharing of information via the network at all levels of command likely will result in massed effects (increased combat power), decision superiority, heightened speed of command, and self-synchronization. (2) as described in the Net-Centric Environment Joint Functional Concept, when connected, units can pursue a commander's intent without repeated contact with superiors to synchronize operations, relying on shared awareness based on consistent information to self-synchronize. (3)

The Transformation Planning Guidance of 2003 specifically states that "implementation of the Department's force transformation strategy will shift us from an industrial age to an information age military. Information age military forces will be less platform-centric and more network-centric." (4) NCw will increase connectivity at lower echelons of command and throughout functions other than command and control (C2). The Net-Centric Environment Joint Functional Concept notes that "since C2 nodes are already fairly well connected, the real power of the Net-Centric environment will be in connecting the other functions and extremities of the force." (5)

The Office of force Transformation monitors the progress of the transformation effort. The Transformation Planning Guidance directs each of the services to write a road map that addresses, among other things, its conversion to NCw. Service NCw programs include the Joint Tactical radio System, air force Link-16 airborne data link, Department of Defense (DOD)--wide Global information Grid network-infrastructure program, Navy Cooperative engagement Capability data link, and Army Force XXI Battle Command Brigade and Below data-link system. (6)

In addition, looking to improve their forces' shared situational awareness and collaborative decision making, the services are actively increasing the connectivity of their forces and experimenting with new tactics, techniques, and procedures to take advantage of the new capability. (7) Despite the newness of NCw technologies and procedures, success stories have emerged from Operation iraqi freedom. for example, data links and the blue force Tracker system have reduced incidents of fratricide, and procedures enabled by new data links have allowed the development and striking of targets within 45 minutes. (8)

Before discussing weather operations, we should define the term decision maker as used in this discussion. Specifically, such an individual receives weather information and takes action based on that information--a purposely broad denotation since the environment affects virtually every mission and function to some degree. Indeed, the substance of this article could affect anyone who has access to weather information.

For weather operations, air force Doctrine Document (AFDD) 2-9.1 Weather Operations, describes how "air force weather operations execute five core processes--collection, analysis, prediction, tailoring, and integration--to characterize the environment and exploit environmental information." (9) Such characterization includes collection of environmental measurements taken by the DOD, US government, and foreign instrumentation; analysis of the measurements; and prediction of the future state of the environment. These actions produce a four-dimensional representation (latitude, longitude, altitude, and time) of the environment, consisting of such environmental parameters as wind speed/direction, temperature, pressure, humidity, clouds, and precipitation. In order for military decision makers to exploit this information, we must derive such decision parameters as ceiling, visibility, cloud-free line of sight, and thermal contrast from the environmental parameters, some of which (e.g., wind speed) double as decision parameters. We tailor forecasted decision parameters to a particular mission by retrieving them for the time(s) and location(s) needed, packaging the information into usable form (maps, tables, graphs, etc.), and formatting the result for integration into the decision maker's decision process. If the decision maker provides operational limitations (i.e., thresholds), we may highlight these in the final product. We then measure or generate weather data and provide decision makers weather information in the form of a product--a collection of information in a particular package (text, map, or graph) and format (file type). In the future, we anticipate that net-centric data management and services will make the processing and communication of a tremendous amount of information feasible and timely.