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.
Facing competition from fast-growing startups, Lockheed Martin is speeding up production of an “affordable, scalable” hypersonic glide body, dubbed the Next Generation Glide Body, the firm said in a June 24 release.