...help modernize the U.S. Defense Meteorological Satellite Program. The contract was awarded by the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center’s Defense Weather Systems Directorate. As part of the study, Harris will analyze the existing Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) space and ground assets and create plans to show how each can evolve into the Weather Satellite Follow-on (WSF) to meet mission needs and lower life cycle costs. Key items to be considered include information assurance, net-centric data strategies, scalability and affordability. The comprehensive study will address potential compatibility and transition issues, cutover of operations, sustainment impacts, minimizing of disruptions to operations, and security accreditation implications.

The recommendations likely will include an evolutionary approach that leverages Harris’ innovative and proven data processing capabilities to meet critical weather information needs for the warfighter. The approach provides the flexibility, adaptability and scalability required by the Department of Defense to meet current and future national security challenges in an affordable and cost-effective manner.