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.
“Harris has been a technology partner of DMSP for over five
decades and is excited to play a role in shaping the program’s
architecture for decades to follow,” said Romy Olaisen, vice
president, Environmental Systems product line, Harris Government
Communications Systems. “The Harris study approach will apply proven
expertise in satellite data processing, command and control, and
automated product generation and distribution to enable a
cost-effective approach for providing weather information to the
warfighter.”
