114.1 Explain how Naval Meteorology and Oceanography supports the Information Warfare mission.
- Allows our forces to apply knowledge of the meteorological and oceanographic environment to decision-making that enhances our war-fighting capabilities.
114.2 Discuss the general mission and organizational structure of CTG 80.7
- Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command (NMOC).
- The NMOC provides Meteorology and Oceanography (METOC), Bathymetry and Hydrography (Bathy/Hydro), Precise Time and Astrometry (PTA), products and services that enable effective decision-making for operational safety, warfighting success by Naval and Joint forces, and security cooperation.
114.3 Define Battle Space on Demand (BonD) and the capability it delivers to the warfighter.
- It supports the long-range Naval Oceanography strategy for linking environmental data to timely and informed decisions — a key aspect of decision superiority. It focuses on the acquisition of environmental data, transformation of the data and fusion with other data sources into information and knowledge, and providing knowledge to future Naval forces. BonD is defined as four tiers.
1. Tier 0 is the ‘Data Layer’ - Data collected from observing the atmosphere and the ocean using a vast range of in-situ sensors and remote sensors.
2. Tier 1 is the ‘Environmental Layer’ - Uses Tier 0 data to forecast the future of the enviroment (weather, effects, etc.).
3. Tier 2 is the ‘Impact Performance Layer’ - Uses predicted environment to see how equipment, forces, and weapons could be affected.
4. Tier 3 is the ‘Decision Layer’. - Situational awareness gained in Tier 2 is applied to specific situations to quantify risks/opportunity at various levels
114.4 Discuss the functions of the CTG 80.7 Enterprise Command Center BWC
- CNMOC Enterprise Command Center BWC assists in providing the Commander with 24/7 global situational awareness on environment-based conditions which bears upon the safety and operability of Naval personnel, facilities, and equipment through daily briefs and reports.
114.5 Define the Naval Oceanography Operating Concept (TCPED).
- Released in 2015 as the new operating concept. It defines a cycle to be employed by IW forces in order to generate a strong battlespace awareness.
◦ Tasking - Tasking comes from CTG 80.7
◦ Collection - Via satellites, buoys, AUVs, ships, aircraft etc
◦ Processing - Ingested into models
◦ Exploitation & Analysis - Used in FWC products, TDAs (TAWS and AREPS)
◦ Dissemination - Briefing material, OPS planning, lessons learned etc
114.6 Define the CTG 80.7 Command Center Portal.
- Formerly The Navy Enterprise Portal – Oceanography (NEP-Oc)
◦ created as the Naval Oceanography mission extension to the Navy Enterprise Portal. - Intended to serve as a single access point for all METOC web-accessible information on the NIPRNet and SIPRNet.
114.7 Define/discuss the functions of the Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center (FNMOC).
- Provides high quality, relevant and timely worldwide meteorology and oceanographic support to U.S. and coalition forces in the areas of: Meteorological, Oceanographic, Tropical Cyclone Tracking & Prediction, and other general information on ocean and weather tracking and prediction.
114.8 Identify/discuss which CTG 80.7 commands provide “Maritime Support” and where those commands are located.
- Fleet Weather Center (FWC), Norfolk
◦ Supports operations in the C2F, C4F, C6F AORs, and Arctic Fleet Operations. - Fleet Weather Center, San Diego
◦ Supports operations in the C3F, C5F, and C7F AORs. - Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC)
◦ provides tropical cyclone support to all DoD assets in the USPACOM AOR.
◦ Discussed later
114.9 Discuss the following Maritime Support products:
a. OTSR Route surveillance msg - Issued upon receipt of MOVREP requesting service, it confirms OTSR surveillance will be provided.
b. OTSR Route and Divert recommendation
◦ Route - Planning route issued upon request that considers ship’s limits, operational constraints, currents, icebergs, time/fuel savings.
◦ Divert- Issued when conditions are forecast to exceed wind or seas limits as determined by supported unit.
c. Special weather advisory - Issued for prolonged periods of heavy weather in high-traffic areas of the AOR, 72+ hours in advance
d. Enroute Weather Forecast (WEAX).
◦ A tailored weather and sea state forecast along a unit’s Points of Intended Movement (PIM), MODLOC, or OCONUS port.
◦ Requested via the ship’s MOVREP, the WEAX is produced once daily (twice daily for special circumstances or upon request).
e. e. OPAREA forecast - Produced once a day for major operating areas, the forecasts are transmitted via message traffic and posted to the NEP-Oc. The product includes a 24-hour forecast and 48-hour outlook.
114.10 Define/discuss the mission of CTG 80.7 resource protection mission.
- Resource Protection (RP) includes the monitoring and dissemination of weather products to ensure that installations receive notification of inclement weather, enabling informed decisions to protect Navy resources.
- RP support is provided by
◦ Fleet Weather Center, Norfolk, VA
◦ Fleet Weather Center, San Diego
◦ Naval Oceanography Antisubmarine Warfare Center, Yokosuka, Japan
◦ FWC Detachments: FWC AVN Det Atsugi, Japan; FWC AVN Det Pearl Harbor at Hickam AFB HI; FWC AVN Det Sembach, Germany.
114.11 Identify/discuss CTG 80.7 Aviation safety mission.
- Fleet Weather Center , Norfolk, VA
◦ Aviation detachment located in Sembach, Germany. - Fleet Weather Center, San Diego, CA.
◦ Aviation detachments located in Atsugi, Japan and Pearl Harbor, HI. - Both are tasked with providing continuous, global weather support to naval aviation.
114.12 Discuss the following aviation support products:
a. Flight Weather Briefing (DD175-1)
◦ Required for pilots by OPNAVINST 3710.7 (series).
◦ Provides weather information for the departure point, route-of-flight, destination(s), and alternate destination(s).
◦ Accurate and timely Horizontal Weather Depictions (HWDs) and other graphical data to support safety of flight are provided.
b. Terminal Aerodrome Forecast (TAF)
◦ 24-hour forecast for each Naval Air Station, updated periodically.
◦ Transmitted to the national meteorological database in a timely manner to ensure current and updated information is available to forecasters and pilots.
c. Meteorological Aviation Report (METAR)
◦ An encoded weather observation routinely generated once an hour
◦ Most locations use augmented observations, which are recorded by digital sensors, encoded via software, and are then reviewed by certified weather observers or forecasters prior to being transmitted.
◦ Observers record surface observations and transmit all observations to the national meteorological database in a timely manner to ensure real-time data is available to forecasters and pilots.
114.13 Define/discuss Resource Protection WRT Arctic and Antarctic operations products
- Standard WEAX support provided.
- FWC, Norfolk will coordinate daily with Naval Ice Center for dissemination of appropriate ice analysis and forecasts.
114.14 Define the following Resource Protection products:
- ALL PROVIDED BY THE FWCs
a Thunderstorm Watch (T2) - Destructive wind and accompanying thunderstorms are within 25 Nautical Miles (NM) or expected within 6 hours.
b Thunderstorm Warning (T1) - Destructive wind and accompanying thunderstorms are within 10 NM, or expected within 1 hour.
c Severe Thunderstorm Watch (T2) - Gusts of wind greater than 50 knots, hail with a diameter greater than 3/4” and/or tornadoes. Destructive wind accompanying severe thunderstorms are within 25 NM, or expected within 6 hours.
d Severe Thunderstorm Warning (T1) - Gusts of wind greater than 50 knots, hail with a diameter greater than 3/4” and/or tornadoes. Destructive wind accompanying severe thunderstorms are within 10 NM, or expected within 1 hour.
e Small Craft Warning - Sustained wind of 18-33 knots are forecast for harbors and inland waters.
f Gale Warning - Sustained wind of 34-47 knots are forecast for harbors, inland waters, ocean areas, airfields and installations.
g Storm Warning - Sustained wind of 48 knots or greater are forecasted for harbor, inland waters, ocean areas, airfields and installations
114.15 Discuss the following Tropical Cyclone Conditions of Readiness (COR) and who sets them.
a. COR 5 - Destructive winds are possible within 96 hours.
b. COR 4 - Indicates a possible threat of destructive wind of the force indicated within 72 hours. Review hazardous and destructive weather implementation plans, as established by local regulations.
c. COR 3 - Destructive winds are possible within 48 hours. Take preliminary precautions.
d. COR 2 - Destructive winds are anticipated within 24 hours. Take precautions that will permit establishment of· an appropriate state of readiness on short notice.
e. COR 1 - Destructive winds are occurring or anticipated within 12 hours. Take final precautions as prescribed.
114.16 Define/discuss JTWC Tropical and Tsunami support.
- The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) Pearl Harbor, HI is responsible for providing tsunami information support to all DoD assets and will act as the Subject Matter Expert (SME) and operational liaison to NOAA for all Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command (NMOC).
- Tsunami bulletins and products are issued by NOAA from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) and the West Coast/ Alaska Tsunami Warning Center (WC/ATWC). The bulletins are auto-forwarded in record message traffic by Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center (FLENUMMETOCCEN). JTWC provides tsunami-related BonD Tier 3 decision support for DoD areas of interest.
114.17 Discuss JTWC Tropical support products:
a. Significant Tropical Weather Advisory (ABPW/ABIO) messages
◦ JTWC issues two narrative messages each day describing existing tropical cyclones and tropical disturbances being monitored for development in the next 24-hours.
b. Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert
◦ A TCFA is issued when conditions are favorable for tropical cyclone formation within 24 hours. Consists of a graphic and text
c. Tropical Cyclone Warning
◦ Will include development level, storm ID information, current warning number, position, movement over the last six hours, speed of maximum sustained winds, radius destructive winds, and forecast position.
114.18 Define/discuss CTG 80.7 Positioning, Navigation and Timing support
- The Precise Time and Astrometry (PTA) Directorate provides the foundational data for positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) operations. All PTA support and products are provided by the United States Naval Observatory (USNAVOBSY), located in Washington, D.C
- USNO serves as DoD’s authoritative source for the positions and motion of celestial bodies, motions of the Earth, and precise time.
114.19 Define/Discuss some of the products and services provided by the U.S. Naval Observatory to the DoD
- USNO products support activities in the following areas:
◦ Astrometry: Integrated Image and Catalog Archive Service, star catalogs, fundamental reference frames, space astrometry
◦ Astronomical Applications: Astronomical data calculators (e.g., rise/set times, Moon phase, etc.), information on astronomical phenomena and related topics, astronomical and navigational almanacs, software products.
◦ Earth Orientation: Daily, weekly, and long-term EO products (e.g. IERS Bulletin A), GPS-based products (rapids, ultra-rapids, UTGPS), VLBI-based products, background information, technical and scientific publications and software.
◦ Precise Time: USNO Master Clock, Network Time Protocol (NTP) servers, web-based time synchronization, GPS timing products and services, Two-Way Satellite Time Transfer, and Loran-C timing products.
114.20 Define/discuss the importance of time WRT GPS Satellites
- USNAVOBSY is the sole provider of time for the GPS system. Calibrated Precise Positioning Service (PPS) GPS timing receivers can receive time to an accuracy of approximately 10 nanoseconds and Standard Positioning Service (SPS) GPS timing receivers can receive time to an accuracy of better than 200 nanoseconds.
114.21 Discuss NAVO Oceanography, Hydrographic and Bathymetric survey operations
- NAVOCEANO operates the T-AGS survey ships on behalf of CNMOC. They conduct open ocean collection of physical oceanographic properties, deep water bathymetry, or shallow water hydrography (survey).
◦ The T-AGS deplot AUVs, gliders, buoys, and floats with a variety of sensors for collecting data. - Other assets capable of conducting ocean surveys include the Airborne Coastal Survey (ACS) and Fleet Survey Team.
114.22 Define/discuss CTG 80.7 Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) support
- Environmental support for ISR missions is provided by Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF) capable units in NAVMETOCCOM like the Naval Oceanographic Office (NAVOCEANO), Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center (FLENUMMETOCCEN), the Naval Ice Center (NAVICE), and the Naval Maritime Forecast Center/Joint Typhoon Warning Center Pearl Harbor (NMFC/JTWC PH).
- METOC professionals are also embedded at, and provide liaison with, Intelligence Community (IC) commands such as the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), National Security Agency (NSA), and the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI).
114.23 Define/discuss NOSWC support
- Naval Oceanography Special Warfare Center (NOSWC)
- Support for Expeditionary Warfare (EXW)
- NOSWC personnel are embedded within the force structure of all Naval Special Warfare components and support deploying Riverine Squadrons.
- Embedded METOC personnel (EM) conduct environmental reconnaissance (ER) and fuse tailored METOC data and forecasts to enable mission planning and execution.
114.??
IN THE PQS IT HAS THESE 2 LISTED UNDER NOSWC SUPPORT (REF B, CH 11), BUT THEY FALL UNDER ASW SUPPORT (REF B, CH 12) AND WOULD MAKE MORE SENSE TO FALL UNDER THE NEXT LINE ITEM. MISTAKE?
- a. Naval Oceanography ASW Detachments (NOADS)
◦ NOAD’s are primarily located with Maritime Patrol Reconnaissance Aircraft (MPRA) and provide support directly to those squadrons. - b. Naval Oceanography ASW Teams (NOATS)
◦ NOAT’s are experts in ASW-related environmental analysis, forecasting and planning and compliment the skills of sonar system operators; usually consists of two-three people.
