RTX to optimize water prediction capabilities for NOAA
Next-Gen Water Prediction framework will help communities prepare for and respond to weather, water and climate-dependent events
ARLINGTON, Va., Sept. 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon, an RTX (NYSE: RTX) business, has been awarded a contract from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to develop and optimize the nation's water resources prediction capabilities.
Under the four-year, $80 million task order, awarded under the General Services Administration Schedule, Raytheon will work closely with the National Weather Service to transform and innovate its prototype Next Generation Water Model Framework, Flood Inundation Mapping and Enterprise Hydrofabric Solution. The goal of this work is to create a climate-ready nation that is prepared for, and responds to, weather, water and climate-dependent events.
"Recent weather events across the U.S. underscore the critical role that accurate, real-time water prediction plays in maintaining our economic stability and national security," said Shawn Miller, technical director of Civil and Autonomous Vehicle Solutions at Raytheon. "By migrating NOAA's prediction capabilities to the cloud, the agency will be able to better address the needs of communities nationwide, facilitating proactive decision making before and during extreme weather events and, ultimately, helping to prevent loss of life and property damage."
For nearly 20 years, Raytheon has partnered closely with NOAA on weather forecasting and data analysis capabilities, including the Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System enterprise, or AWIPS, a weather forecasting data and display toolkit, and the Earth Prediction Innovation Center, or EPIC, the most user-friendly and user-accessible Earth modeling system.
"Working with Raytheon, we will transform our technologies that predict streamflow, flooding, and inundation, as well as deploy improved capabilities to support understanding of drought and water quality challenges," said Edward Clark, director of NOAA's National Water Center. "With these advanced tools deployed, National Weather Service forecasters will deliver enhanced decision support services for a broad spectrum of emergency and water resources managers, and all communities nationwide."
With this award, Raytheon will now provide critical capabilities that support all three of NOAA and NWS's main sectors that contribute to the science and application of weather and weather forecasting: weather, water and climate enterprise.
About RTX
RTX is the world's largest aerospace and defense company. With more than 180,000 global employees, we push the limits of technology and science to redefine how we connect and protect our world. Through industry-leading businesses – Collins Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney, and Raytheon – we are advancing aviation, engineering integrated defense systems for operational success, and developing next-generation technology solutions and manufacturing to help global customers address their most critical challenges. The company, with 2022 sales of $67 billion, is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia.
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