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Tactical Terminals
Several generations of tactical terminals, known as TACTERMs, have been used since the mid-1960s. TACTERMs receive, decrypt, process, and display DMSP and a variety of foreign and domestic Meteorological Satellites (METSATs) imagery and sensor data to support military missions worldwide. The current systems in use include the AN/TMQ-54 Receiving Set, Satellite/Transportable (RSS/T), the AN/UMQ-13 Mark IV-B, the AN/SMQ-11 and the Mark IV terminals. DMSP has been moving towards a cheaper, smaller, better solutions to getting METSAT data to the user in the field. The figure below depicts the hardware evolution to more portable systems that can handle high resolution data, as well as data from a variety of both geostationary and polar-orbiting weather satellites. Current and future efforts to decrease the time it takes to receive data from the satellite, and send data to the user are geared towards a Joint METSAT Ingest, Software and Terminals (JMIST) concept that will use combination of fixed and deployable sites and exploit networked capabilities. 
Figure 1: TACTERM Evolution Receiving Set, Satellite/Transportable The RSS/T is a transportable METSAT data ingest, processing and distribution system, designed to support weather analysis and forecasting on a regional basis. It can be deployed in either semi-permanent or rapid deployment configurations, depending on the mission requirements. The RSS/T receives data directly from polar-orbiting METSATs without reliance on any other means of communication and is thus self-contained and stand-alone. The METSAT data streams consist of visual and infrared imagery and mission sensor data. This data is formatted, stored and filed for distribution on request. The RSS/T must have network connectivity to accomplish distribution. Data will be made available to authorized users through the Non-secure Internet Protocol Router Network (NIPRNET). Products include weather and meteorological data that will be used by analysts and forecasters to support mission planners and aircrews with real time images/products of weather conditions for local or regional target areas, air combat operations and a myriad of DoD (e.g., military) and DoS (e.g., humanitarian) activities. Post-processing, analysis and forecasting functions can be performed on the RSS/T, but the majority of RSS/T METSAT data is used by external clients. Users/clients (e.g., analysts and forecasters) of RSS/T products will use the Mark IVB forecaster application software to retrieve the RSS/T data, display it and perform various analytical and forecasting functions. 
Figure 2: RSS/T |