Tactical Decision Aids (TDAs)
We assess the weather impact on sensors and military platforms.
The Met Office has developed a suite of TDAs to predict the expected impact of weather conditions affecting defence operations. Taking outputs from the Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) models it calculates detailed impacts, using algorithms based on our scientific understanding of atmosphere and ocean. The TDAs translate complex and dynamic environmental information into mission-specific advice and actionable understanding.
The information is presented to the meteorologist through a browser-based, thin-client application, providing insight into how weather and ocean conditions can impact defence operational scenarios. These TDAs provide effective support for decision making, enabling information superiority in the meteorological and oceanographic domain.
Met Office TDAs provide predictions of the thermal contrast of ground and maritime targets against the background land or ocean surface; the effect of evaporation ducts that can trap maritime radar beams; illumination levels for night vision systems and temperature and humidity affecting heat stress on ground forces.
By using industry standard OGC® compliant web service technologies, we ensure our services integrate effectively and more easily with other information sources on secure military networks. An example is the contribution of the Met Office to the annual Coalition Warrior Interoperability Exercises (CWIX), which is a NATO exercise across multiple domains and geographical areas to test and experiment with joint information exploitation.
