The Marine Meteorology Division of the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) is currently developing two automated on-scene systems to deliver high-resolution meteorological information to Navy operational forecasters, war fighters, and decision-makers. The systems are operational extensions of existing and evolving research efforts in the real-time integration of data. The state-of-the-art for the assessment of battlespace environmental conditions is advancing from an infrequent, single-station perspective to a 4-D awareness by continuous fusion of multi-source observations and on-scene short-term mesoscale model predictions. Meteorological information in the 0 to 2 hour (“nowcast”) timeframe is critical to tactical decision-making within the battlegroup, and until now, observations and real-time mesoscale forecasts have not been effectively bridged for Naval interests. The forward deployment of COAMPS-OS™ and Nowcast for the Next Generation Navy (NOWCAST) at theater centers and shipboard represents the on-scene, tactical-scale tier of NRL’s telescoping strategy for mission success.

COAMPS-OS™ is an on-scene weather prediction system that incorporates database and visualization components to support the Navy’s Coupled Ocean/Atmosphere Mesoscale Prediction System (COAMPS™). COAMPS™ is a globally relocatable, non-hydrostatic NWP model capable of weather prediction at spatial and temporal scales of 1-100km and 0-72h, respectively. COAMPS-OS™ provides a graphical interface to COAMPS™ to permit users to configure forecast duration, location, and resolution. Output from COAMPS™ serves as the basis for several NOWCAST products, including ceiling, visibility, and wind fields. NOWCAST is described in Part I.

The paper will describe COAMPS-OS™ and the integration of COAMPS-OS™ as a component in the Fleet Battle Experiment Juliet (FBE-J) occurring during July and August 2002. FBE-J is the Naval component of the US Joint Forces Command (USJFCOM) Millennium Challenge 02, in which live and simulated exercises involving technological innovations support various experiment initiatives. NOWCAST and COAMPS-OS clients during FBE-J include the USS Coronado, Naval Pacific Meteorology and Oceanography Center – San Diego (NPMOC-SD), and Naval Air Warfare Centers (NAWC) at Pt. Mugu and China Lake, CA.