BAE Systems has teamed with software provider Red Hat and IBM segment The Weather Company to enhance military simulation environments through weather data.
The partnership will integrate information from various meteorological conditions into BAE’s present virtual ecosystems to “add a new level of realism” to infantry, air defense, communications, and special operations training.
For the project, Red Hat will leverage its OpenShift cloud-based management and builder application to design and maintain associated systems. The Weather Company will employ experiences in relaying atmospheric data in other US Department of Defense programs.
“We are thrilled about our efforts to develop digital twins of the Earth with real-world data like weather, which is a critical element for achieving an advantage in simulated military operations,” BAE Systems Intelligence Solutions General Manager and VP Peder Jungck stated.
Significance of Weather Information
The Weather Company CEO Sheri Bachstein underscored the importance of integrating weather data into warfighter preparations.
“In defense analysis, planning and simulation, weather can influence an aircraft’s performance, the tempo of ground operations and the viability of critical infrastructure,” she explained.
“To help effectively address these challenges as weather events become more intense, it’s critical now more than ever to incorporate reliable, globally scaled, real-time and predictive weather data and insights into defense planning and simulation environments.”
Next-Gen Decision Making
Throughout the collaboration, Red Hat will migrate capabilities from BAE’s current open-source automated processing platform Kubernetes into OpenShift to further address the demands of simulation users and enable a smoother transition into government clouds.
“When it comes to achieving a real-time decision advantage in theater, having the agility to scale these capabilities more quickly and seamlessly between cloud environments with enhanced security features is a top priority,” Red Hat North America Defense Sales VP Jim Keenan said.
“With Red Hat OpenShift, BAE Systems is able to help their [Department of Defense] customers achieve these goals and realize the next generation of military decision-making.”
The consortium is showcasing the solutions at a training, education, and simulation exhibit in Orlando, Florida, until November 30.
