Air Force Reserve Command’s 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron’s Hurricane Hunters tracked a tropical disturbance off the coast of Georgia May 9, although the 2007 hurricane season doesn’t “officially” start until June 1. The hunters used the latest WC-130J Hercules with a Stepped Frequency Microwave Radiometer to measure wind speed and rainfall at sea level, which provides “more precise forecasting of the severity and direction of storms, states a Lockheed Martin release. Lockheed is in the process of installing the SFMR on all 10 of the squadron’s J models. The unit expects to have another SFMR-equipped Herk by the end of June, followed by one per month.
As the Space Force prepares to field new fleets of satellites that can track moving targets in the air and on the ground, it’s working to ensure it has the organizational structures in place to onboard and operate those systems.
