SF Weather Services Research
The program office is executing the Space Weather Analysis and Forecast System (SWAFS) (Project 643353) for Guardians across the Weather mission area. As a result, the USSF will improve readiness and operational reach of existing the force structure. This budget activity funds the development necessary to evaluate integrated technologies and models for future operationalization into segments of the Space Force Weather Services (SFWS) in support of three lines of effort. To improve readiness for a more lethal force, SFWS provides timely, accurate, resilient and relevant environmental information, to include space and terrestrial weather, for global battlespace situational awareness for Air Force (AF), Army, Special Operations Forces (SOF), Space Force (USSF), combatant commands, the Intelligence Community (IC), and other government agencies. SFWS capabilities at home station and deployed provide critical environmental information in support of decision makers to gain the asymmetric advantage during the full spectrum of air and space combat operations. SFWS development enhances the lethality, effectiveness, and survivability of AF & SF weapon systems and precision munitions by modernizing capability and seeking the military advantage to accurately predict friendly and foe environmental impacts to optimize mission execution and planning, targeting, weaponeering, battle damage assessment, and space systems operations. To strengthen alliances and partnerships, SFWS development efforts integrate Department of War (DoW), government agency, commercial, and international partner environmental data with SFWS information system equipment for processing, storing, exploiting, and disseminating all-domain weather information for analysis, forecasting, mission integration, and greater interoperability. To ensure greater performance and affordability for the AF and SF, SFWS systems are being modernized through improvements to architecture and system efficiency, cybersecurity, joint all-domain command and control (JADC2) and sensing grid integration, migration to cloud computing, and expanding agile software development practices. SFWS aligns activities under four capability areas: Weather Data Collection, Weather Data Analysis and Dissemination, Weather Forecasting, and Product Tailoring/Warfighter Applications (PTWA).
FY2027 planned work Begin modeling effort addressing the space weather impacts on Hi-Latitude communications, to include forecasting. Johns Hopkins University/Advanced Physics Laboratory is converting ionospheric model from Fortran to Python computer code. Boston College is improving ionospheric and solar indices models.
FY2026 to FY2027 change FY 2027 funding increased due to new modeling efforts.
FY2026 plans — current year Peraton to continue development of upgrade to the Space Weather High Frequency Communication Propagation Model, in conjunction with the AFRL (Air Force Research Lab) development of the Scintillation Nowcast Forecast Model Update, that identifies space environment impacts to DoW and Intelligence Community communications to and through space, and additional Electromagnetic spectrum interference hazard assessment tools (EMI-HAS). Rapidly respond to implement system resiliency and situational awareness necessary to operate in the contested space domain. Activities may include, but are not limited to program office support, studies, technical analysis, experimentation, risk reduction…