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**Summary:**

The U.S. Navy’s Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center ceased sharing weather data from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on July 31st. This is a permanent change. The Navy is phasing out reliance on the aging DMSP satellites, which are past their expected lifespan, and transitioning to the more modern Weather System Follow-on Microwave (WSF-M) system, which reached Initial Operational Capacity in April. NOAA will also use data from the Electro-Optical Weather System (EWS). Despite the change, NOAA retains access to other weather data sources, including its Joint Polar Satellite System and global observation networks. The move is part of a broader military modernization effort, with other branches also upgrading satellite and network capabilities, despite challenges with GPS modernization and other issues, and a climate to follow President Trump’s policies.

**News Article:**

**Navy Cuts Off NOAA Access to Key Satellite Weather Data as Modernization Efforts Continue**

**Washington D.C.** – The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) lost access to critical weather data from the U.S. Navy’s Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) on July 31st, marking a permanent shift in how the agency gathers information for forecasting. The move comes as the Navy transitions to the more advanced Weather System Follow-on Microwave (WSF-M) system.

For decades, the DMSP satellites provided NOAA with vital global imagery twice daily, tracking cloud formations, storm systems, and other weather phenomena. The Space Force cited DMSP’s ability to detect weather patterns over remote areas as a key feature of the system.

According to a NOAA release, the decision to terminate the data sharing stems from the Department of Defense’s increased reliance on the newly fielded WSF-M, which achieved Initial Operational Capacity in April. The WSF-M offers enhanced capabilities, including precise measurement of sea ice, soil moisture, snow depth, wind patterns, and cyclone data. NOAA will also rely on data from the Electro-Optical Weather System (EWS) to compensate for the loss of DMSP data.

“While the discontinuation of certain data streams from DMSP may seem alarming, the transition to WSF-M and EWS represents a modernization effort aimed at providing more resilient and enhanced environmental monitoring capabilities,” NOAA stated in a release. The agency emphasized that it still retains access to data from its Joint Polar Satellite System, buoys, observation satellites, and ground-based radar networks.

The DMSP satellites, while still operational, are more than a decade past their expected lifespan, prompting the transition. The shift is occurring amid broader military modernization efforts across different branches. The Army is overhauling its network capabilities and has installed new satellite communications systems in Okinawa. The Navy recently awarded a $28.4 million contract to L3Harris Technologies to enhance its satellite communications. However, the Space Force has been struggling to modernize its GPS capabilities, with deficient equipment cited as a contributing factor by the Government Accountability Office.

This decision also follows reports of the Trump administration discouraging focus on climate change, like the U.S. Coast Guard Academy removing references to “climate change” in an effort to follow President Donald Trump’s policies.

Whether these modernization efforts will completely offset the loss of DMSP data remains to be seen, but NOAA officials express confidence in the enhanced capabilities of the new systems to improve weather prediction.

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