Joint Metoc Handboo - IHMC Ontology and Policy Management

8-USAF
- Space weather products in support of communications include analyses and
forecasts of ionospheric conditions that affect high frequency (HF) communications
and ultra high frequency (UHF) satellite communications (SATCOM). Product
contents include, but are not limited to, predictions of usable frequencies for pointto-point
HF communications and predictions of space weather-caused disruptions
to UHF SATCOM
- Space weather products in support of satellite operations include analyses and
forecasts of ionospheric and magnetospheric conditions that may affect the ability
of a satellite to perform as expected. Product contents include analyses and
predictions of energetic electrically-charged particles fluences and fluxes (the
number of charged particles bombarding a satellite). In those cases that anomalous
behavior within a satellite is reported by satellite controllers, space weather
products also include assessments of whether or not the space weather environment
was disturbed enough to cause the anomalous behavior
- Space weather products in support of space tracking include analyses and forecasts
of ionospheric conditions that may affect the ability of ground-based space tracking
radars to perform as expected. Product contents include, but are not limited to,
correction factors required to account for the ionospheric-induced errors in tracking
radars
- Space weather products in support of navigation include analyses of ionospheric
conditions that may reduce the positional accuracy of single-frequency Global
Positioning System (GPS) applications. Product contents include geographic maps
that depict locations where single-frequency GPS accuracy is most likely to be
affected by large ionospheric-induced positional errors
- Space weather products in support of intelligence collection include a variety of
classified products to assist customers in identifying when, how, and how much
space weather is affecting both friendly and adversary operations
• Product availability
- Space weather products are available on AFWIN (password required; click a
region, then go to "Space Weather") and SIPRNET
(www.55swxs.spacecom.smil.mil/index.html)
8.4.2.2 Air Force METOC Theater (Operational) Products.
Each Operational Weather Squadron (OWS) supports its theater by providing regional and
theater weather guidance for the planning and execution of Air Force and Army operations
in their supported CINC's AOR. The OWS Combat Operations Flight (which can deploy
forward, if required) provides decision assistance to USAF and Army C2 activities at the
operational level. Each OWS also manages the weather observing collection strategy for
its region. To contact the theater hubs, see the organizational listing below (paragraph
8-19