fm 44-100 us army air and missile defense operations

FM 44-100
terminals were developed for use at corps and higher headquarters. The
evolution of the TENCAP systems has made it feasible to deploy certain
systems to echelons below corps also. The request and dissemination process,
system capabilities, and specific applications can be found in the Joint
Tactical Exploitation of National Capabilities (J-TENS) manual.
WEATHER, TERRAIN AND ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING
C-20. Environmental monitoring consists of gathering weather and terrain
data. Three satellite systems are the primary contributors.
Weather
C-21. Weather has a significant impact on the conduct of tactical operations
in terms of visibility, temperature, and maneuverability. Electro-optically
guided weapons and other weapons are particularly sensitive to weather
conditions along their flight path. Space systems provide detailed information
on the current atmospheric conditions over a wide area, to include areas
where there are few weather sensors or where political and military
considerations restrict the gathering of weather data. Satellite imagery and
data also support the preparation of accurate weather forecasts. The Army
requires both imagery and vertical profile data; for example, atmospheric
conditions from both military and civil weather satellites.
Defense Meterological Satellite Program
C-22. The Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) provides
worldwide visible and infrared cloud imagery and other meteorological,
oceanographic, and space environmental data for the Department of Defense.
Normally, two DMSP satellites are maintained in sun-synchronous, near
polar, 833 kilometers (518 miles) high circular orbit. Each satellite provides
coverage of the entire earth every 12 hours. With two satellites, a specific
area is observed once every four to eight hours. DMSP satellites carry a
variety of sensors which collect data of an area up to 2,960 kilometers (1,839
miles) wide. The primary sensor is the Operational Linescan System (OLS)
which provides cloud imagery in visible and infrared bands. In the fine mode,
resolution of images of areas designated by DMSP control can be 0.6
kilometers. All other areas are imaged in the smooth mode, which provides a
resolution of 2.8 kilometers in daylight or 3.5 kilometers at night. In addition
to the OLS, DMSP satellites have a microwave sensor that provides a vertical
temperature profile of the atmosphere. Each satellite also has sensors to
measure the space environment and the upper reaches of the ionosphere.
Data transmitted by the DMSP satellites is encrypted. DMSP is controlled by
the Air Force Space Command.
Terrain
C-23. The human eye sees light across a region of the electromagnetic
spectrum known as the "visible" region. Human vision presents an image as a
color rendition of the world, visible under typical conditions. A spectral
imaging system can be designed to receive in narrow bands, for example, only
green. A multispectral imager is one that "sees" in several specific bands
(wavelengths) simultaneously and stores the information as separate images.
C-5