A "Satellite Focus" for the War on Terror

Introduction: Following the September 11, 2001 attacks, the Office of Naval Research called on all Navy performers to address a pressing question: What resources could be provided in the short-term (~60 days), medium-term (~60 weeks), and long-term (~60 months) time frames to assist the Department of Defense (DOD) in the War on Terror? The Naval Research Laboratory responded in part by developing a fully dynamic, web-based satellite product demonstration tool—Satellite Focus. A resource of proven value during Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), Satellite Focus promises to empower Meteorology/Oceanography (METOC) operations well into the future.

Understanding METOC Needs: The ability to provide effective tactical METOC guidance in the extreme, harsh weather environments characteristic of the Southwest Asia OEF domain hinges on the availability of thorough, timely, and accurate environmental information. At the onset of the OEF campaign, the fundamental problem in meeting rapidly escalating demands for satellite data support was not as much a matter of technical readiness as it was one of resource coordination and distribution. Recognizing that a number of potentially useful satellite value-added products existed at various stages of development but were not yet forward-deployed to the operational centers via the normal research and development transition channels, we began a demonstration project to show the here-and-now utility of these products in the current conflict. The concept of a Satellite Focus web page was born.

"Sector-Centric" Design: From the perspective of the METOC officer, the operating area is the known parameter. The Satellite Focus design is therefore sector-centric, with a "sector" defining the local operating domain—the finest resolution of a dynamically scalable hierarchy of spatial domains. Figure 4 illustrates the simple concept of sectors residing within a larger focus region. Overlaid on this Meteosat-5 enhanced infrared image are colored boxes delineating various sectors within a region of interest. For example, the Arabian Gulf (green box) sector resides in the OEF Middle East region. The OEF Middle East region, in turn, is defined as a box within the greater Southwest Asia region (not shown), and the entire globe is partitioned into many such regions. All satellite imagery products created for a sector share common dimensions and therefore are easily compared against each other—an invaluable utility for analysis.

The Product Suite: The Satellite Focus web page features many new products tailored to the difficult realities of this region. Among these products are tools for observing desert dust storms; nocturnal low clouds and fog; snow/cloud distinction; deep convection and rainfall; aircraft contrails; and general mesoscale meteorology. Several existing products required careful refinement to function properly in the OEF environment. Others, such as the desert dust enhancement (see "A New Desert Disenhancement Technique Applicable to Near Real-time MODIS Data over both Ocean and Land," by S.D. Miller, feature article in this Review), represent new technologies developed specifically for OEF applications. Near real-time telemetries from a growing constellation of civilian and DOD geostationary and polar orbiter satellites fuel the Satellite Focus "engine." Thanks to considerable efforts by NOAA/NASA agency counterparts to support DOD efforts during OEF, a streamlined flow of global data from the MODerate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) now provides a boon of new information over previously data-void locales throughout the Southwest Asia domain.

The Web Interface: The internet-based graphical user interface of Satellite Focus evolves dynamically as users introduce or remove basins, regions, sectors, and imagery products. Pop-up buttons display all available products, with additional options for viewing archived imagery, customized animation, and multi-image mosaics. Online tutorials support steep learning curves for new satellite products. Low-bandwidth accommodations include intermediate thumbnail imagery at reduced quality, with secondary options for full-quality download. Figure 5 depicts an example page layout, with orientation buttons in the upper panel, available products in the left panel, and the current display in the main field. The Satellite Focus codes are forward-deployable and customizable to specific user domain/product needs.

Payoff—Linking to the WarFighter: Network bandwidth constraints aboard Navy ships required hosting Satellite Focus on Secure Internet (Siprnet). Coordination with Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center (FNMOC) made this access possible. Regular correspondence between NRL scientists and METOC officers has accelerated the spin-up for products now being used in daily briefings both ashore and afloat (distributed from carrier and amphibious assault ships among battle group members and coalition forces). NRL currently maintains seven focus regions within the Southwest Asia OEF domain, with the majority of these initiated upon direct requests from users in the arena. With the current package, we are poised to react literally in a matter of minutes to any need, worldwide, with a fully dynamic interface for NRL value-added satellite products—an agility that is critical to supporting DOD METOC in the War on Terror.

Acknowledgments: We thank FNMOC for Siprnet coordination, NOAA/NASA for MODIS data support, and METOC officers aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) and USS Belleau Wood (LHA 3) for their valuable feedback.

[Sponsored by SPAWAR]