The Future is Here: Capabilities and Plans for the Advanced Technology Demonstrator at the National Severe Storms Laboratory

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has partnered with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to develop the Advanced Technology Demonstrator (ATD). The ATD is a mid-scale, dual-polarized, multifunction, active, electronically scanned phased array radar that will replace the decommissioned SPY-1A antenna at the National Weather Radar Testbed in Norman, OK. The ATD leverages several prior investments to provide a flexible and affordable system with reduced risk. One of the key components of this system is the Application Software that simultaneously supports weather and terminal aircraft surveillance missions. The Application Software for the ATD provides capabilities for advanced digital signal processing, adaptive scan control and scheduling, system monitoring and control, calibration, and data archiving and display. It is being developed by engineers in the Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies (CIMMS) at the National Severe Storms Laboratory in partnership with General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems. This presentation will provide an overview of the ATD Application Software planned capabilities and a roadmap for engineering research that will help prepare NOAA for the next generation of weather-surveillance radars.