For the past twenty years Army field intelligence analysts and staff weather officers assigned to combat weather teams have utilized a decision support tool called the Integrated Weather Effects Decision Aid (IWEDA). The IWEDA system ingests weather forecast model grids, applies a rules/thresholds database to the grids, and produces color-coded overlays for terrain map backgrounds. These map overlays quickly indicate the severity of the weather impacts on Army weapon and support systems, and have provided a valuable tool for mission commanders to plan battlefield operations. Although it is a useful tool, the basic IWEDA concept has not been updated since its inception, and its capabilities have fallen behind the vastly improved numerical weather prediction models and computing platforms that are available today. Its coarse color-coded map indicators are a simplistic green/amber/red scheme, all weather parameters are treated with equal weight, and there is no means of accounting for how many model parameters are contributing to the adverse weather effects. The current research describes a new composite scoring system by which weather parameters can be assigned different weights; an accounting is made for the number of parameters contributing to the adverse weather, and much greater color granularity can be applied to the IWEDA map overlays. The higher color granularity and adjustable parameter weights are expected to afford much greater flexibility to commanders and intelligence analysts as weather effects are incorporated into planning battlefield operations. The new capability also is suitable for use in comparable operational civilian weather impacts technologies.

Approved for public release; distribution unlimited. ii REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGEForm Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing the burden, to Department of Defense, Washington Headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports (0704-0188), 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington, VA 22202-4302. Respondents should be aware that notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person shall be subject to any penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information if it does not display a currently valid OMB control number. PLEASE DO NOT RETURN YOUR FORM TO THE ABOVE ADDRESS. REPORT DATE (DD-MM-YYYY) May 20092. REPORT TYPE ARL-TR-4803 SPONSORING/MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 10. SPONSOR/MONITOR'S ACRONYM(S) SPONSOR/MONITOR'S REPORT NUMBER(S) DISTRIBUTION/AVAILABILITY STATEMENTApproved for public release; distribution unlimited. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES ABSTRACTThe Army Research Laboratory, Battlefield Environment Division has been developing an Aviation Weather Routing Tool (AWRT) to address the issue of weather impacts upon various Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) missions. The AWRT depicts regions of adverse weather impacts and then searches for alternate routes that minimize those impacts. A related factor that has yet to be included in AWRT involves UAS fuel consumption. Fuel consumption rates, remaining fuel quantity, and therefore allowable times' on-target are vital issues that must be considered to safely and most effectively employ UAS in their various mission roles. In particular, as AWRT proposes alternate routes that minimize adverse weather effects, additional fuel requirements to fly those routes must be taken into account. We have developed a prototype Fuel Consumption Algorithm (FCA) that addresses some of these issues. The prototype FCA has been designed such that minimal operator input is required, while a maximum amount of pertinent flight information is produced. UAS flight performance characteristics, prevailing winds, and mission route definitions are incorporated into the FCA. Using these data, the algorithm computes ground speeds along the various mission segments (and therefore flying times), fuel consumed, and then fuel and time available to be expended at a target area. iii

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.ii REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE Form Approved OMB No. 0704-0188Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing the burden, to Department of Defense, Washington Headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports (0704-0188), 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington, VA 22202-4302. Respondents should be aware that notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person shall be subject to any penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information if it does not display a currently valid OMB control number.

No abstract

Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing the burden, to Department of Defense, Washington Headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports (0704-0188),