Using the Advanced Research Version of the Weather Research and Forecast Model in Support of ScanEagle Unmanned Aircraft System Test Flights

Abstract : The U.S. Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) supported unmanned aircraft flights in a specified airspace domain at Yuma Proving Ground (YPG) in November and December 2007. The Battlefield Environment Division of the Computational and Information Sciences Directorate (CISD), Army Research Laboratory (ARL), was asked to provide real-time meteorological modeling support and weather products such as low-level wind and turbulence forecasts at YPG to help determine areas and times of adverse flying conditions. For each flying period one ARL meteorologist was sent to YPG to provide on-site support and interpretation of the model forecast output and products. The on-site ARL meteorologist was primarily responsible for insuring receipt and proper interpretation of the products for use by flight. This report describes the modeling efforts by ARL and the output of the Advanced Research version of the Weather Research and Forecasting model (WRF-ARW).