Atmosphere and Ocean Support Services

SAIC offers end-to-end support services to weather and ocean agencies. We manage systems development, systems integration, sensors testing, and product generation.

United States Air Force Weather Program Management and Technical Services
Planning for and providing end-to-end support to space and terrestrial weather sensing, display and forecasting systems used by the United States Air Force

SAIC is analyzing support requirements, preparing program documentation, and assisting the Air Force Weather Agency (AFWA) throughout its life cycle of weather systems. We oversee site surveys and system installations, conduct system acceptance testing, and manage the cutover of programs. We also assist the AFWA in preparing instructions manuals and developing customer-tailored weather products and services.

As part of this program, we managed the installation of weather radars and satellite receivers in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Qatar.

United States Navy METOC (METeorological and OCeanographic) Systems Operational and Technical Suppor
Supporting US Navy and US Marine Corps users of operational meteorological and oceanographic systems

SAIC supports operator training, system familiarization, and tactical application evaluation for the Naval Integrated Tactical Environmental System. We liaise directly with US Navy METOC users, supporting:

• System and software troubleshooting
• Technical assessment of trouble reports
• Interoperability issues
• Ongoing testing and development of METOC systems.

Weather and Ocean Data Buoy Services
Providing full engineering support to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Data Buoy Center (NDBC)

The NDBC provides NOAA with routine observations of meteorological and oceanographic data to support marine and ocean forecasting and marine resource management. To provide full system support, SAIC:

• Develops buoy and sensor systems
• Provides mechanical engineering, computer modelling, and configuration management
• Controls and distributes technical documentation
• Operates and maintains the buoy network
• Develops, operates, and maintains the data system
• Performs safety and quality control functions.

SAIC also operates the National Weather Service's Sterling, Virginia Test Facility, which tests and calibrates sensors that are candidates to be deployed.

A Few of Our Programs:

• New Tactical Forecast System (NTFS)
• Weather Surveillance Radar - 1988 Doppler (WSR-88D)
• Tactical Weather Radar (TWR)
• Observing System for the 21st Century (OS-21)
• Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS)
• Tactical Meteorological Observing Systems (TMOS)
• AN/FMQ-19 Automatic Meteorological Station (AMS)
• Operational Weather Squadron (OWS) Production System II (OPS II)
• Cloud Depiction and Forecast System II (CDFS II)
• Space Weather Analysis and Forecast System (SWAFS)
• Target Acquisition Weapons Software (TAWS)
• Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) and Tactical VSAT (TVSAT) weather communication systems.

Scientific Support Services to the US National Weather Service
Providing highly specialized modelling and simulation, scientific programming, and technical support to the Environmental Modeling Center (EMC) of the National Center for Environmental Prediction (NCEP)

The EMC develops advanced methods of atmospheric and oceanographic data analysis and modelling with the goal of increasing the skill of the operational weather forecasts of the NWS. SAIC is providing highly skilled scientists experienced in the modelling of atmospheric physical processes and FORTRAN optimization techniques.

SAIC plays a key role in maintaining, enhancing, and preparing for operational implementation of complex atmospheric models and the large observational data sets required to initialize and verify model forecasts. These models are used for medium-range (3-5 days) and short-range (1-2 days) weather predictions on worldwide and regional scales, as well as for seasonal forecast guidance.

Air Force Weather Technical Services
Providing systems support to Operational Weather Squadrons (OWS) within the US Air Force

SAIC provides systems support to Operational Weather Squadrons (OWSs) located in the continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii, Germany, and Japan. Systems support includes the planning, installation, testing, maintenance, and upgrade of Air Force Weather information. It also includes the development and maintenance of Web sites essential to the distribution of weather data and products to other weather units and to military customers.

System Support for US Air Force Operational Weather Squadrons:

• OWS Production System II (a weather display and forecast system)
• The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Portal (a key communications system)
• The Open System Principal User Processor (a Doppler radar display and analysis system)
• The Weather Product Management Distribution System (WPMDS)
• The Watches, Warning, and Advisories Management System (WWAMS)
• Associated databases and systems hardware and software.