The U.S. Air Force is completing the worldwide deployment of more than 280 tactical meteorological data collection systems that provide mission-critical weather data to war planners and decision makers via Iridium satellites, Iridium Satellite LLC said Sept. 13.

The system, named AN/TMQ-53 Tactical Meteorological Observing System, is a collection of weather sensors connected to a computer and Iridium data modem. The basic configuration measures surface pressure, temperature, dew point, wind direction and wind speed. The configuration can be enhanced to provide cloud measurements, vertical visibility, surface visibility, present weather, precipitation type and lightning out to 50 nautical miles.

NAL Research Corp. was the third-party integrator and provided technical support for the development, evaluation and deployment of the new system.

Financial terms of the equipment deployment were not disclosed.