The Air Force Weather Agency’s Lt. Col. Michael Dwyer told reporters at Wednesday’s JEFX briefing that the Net-Centric Weather Initiative (NCWI)is designed to demonstrate the ability to provide near-real-time critical weather information directly to the cockpit via Tactical Targeting Network Technology, or TTNT. Aircrews flying TTNT-equipped aircraft would be able to directly access current data via “machine-to-machine” channels, eliminating the stovepiping that prevented weather from being fully integrated into CAOC processes. Now, said Dwyer, the weather input will be transparent. NCWI also works with the Web-Enabled Execution Management Capability (WEEMC), which enables numerous commanders to plan and execute time-sensitive strike missions.
General Atomics plans to pitch a brand new design for a low-cost, attritable drone to take on missions now carried out by its MQ-9 Reaper.