text: Army Space Capabilities
  quality and timeliness as would be provided to joint and allied forces. Shared early warning information also
  has the added benefits of building trust between nations and establishing partnerships.
  ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING
  3-93. Adverse space weather can impact satellites, communications links, and ground stations which have
  a cascading effect on Army ground operations. Knowledge of these factors allows forces to mitigate adverse
  environmental conditions while taking advantage of favorable conditions to enhance operations. Such
  monitoring also supports IPB by providing the commander with information needed to identify and analyze
  a potential enemies courses of action (COA).
  3-94. Weather influences military planners and is accounted for during the planning, preparation,
  execution, and assessment of operations. Weather data is part of the information required by commanders
  and staffs when planning, preparing, executing, and assessing combat operations. The results from analyzing
  weather data, identifying potential weather effects, and assessing the impact of weather on systems, tactics,
  and operations provide vital information for commanders to optimally employ their forces.
  3-95. Knowledge and understanding of operational effects presented by the space environment are
  increasingly more relevant within the IPB process. Historically, analysis of the space environment focused
  on solar and lunar predictions and their effects on tides and illumination. As our understanding of space
  weather has increased, military considerations for space weather conditions and the implications on
  operations have increased as well. Space weather events may adversely affect PNT, surveillance and
  reconnaissance missions, as well as terrestrial and space communications capabilities. Net-centric operations
  rely extensively on continuously available SATCOM; understanding the influences of space weather events
  on all communication requirements allow commanders to work mitigation efforts for predicted periods of
  reduced availability.
  3-96. Space capabilities provide data that forms the basis for forecasts, alerts, and warnings for the space
  environment that may negatively impact space assets and space operations. These space-based environmental
  monitoring capabilities provide the ability to forecast and warn operating forces of degraded SATCOM and
  GPS signals due to ionospheric disturbances from space weather.
  3-97. Operational planners must focus mission analysis over widespread, geographically diverse areas. For
  military applications, weather forecast information should be tailored to support operations that range from
  small surgical strikes to theater-wide operations. Terrestrial weather, space weather, or both may significantly
  impact both friendly and threat operations.
  3-98. Space weather has become an important facet in SATCOM, which is a common means of
  communication. Although it is impossible to prevent phenomena produced by the sun from affecting
  communications and navigation systems, forecasting adverse effects on terrestrial and space assets gives
  commanders increased SSA during planning, preparation, and execution of missions or operations. For
  example, the Joint Battle Command-Platform provides brigade combat teams with enhanced communications
  capabilities by utilizing SATCOM, PNT, reporting, and friendly identification. Any space weather impacts
  on SATCOM may have an adverse effect on brigade combat team operations and mission success. Different
  types of solar events may have different impacts on equipment, and the impact may be forecast to occur in
  2-3 minutes, 1-2 hours, or the next day.
  3-99. Space-based meteorological systems provide timely and accurate terrestrial weather, details on
  environmental conditions, and space environment data. These systems provide the commander a clear
  understanding of the environmental impacts on operations throughout the depth of the operational area. The
  Army uses space-based environmental monitoring benefits for planning support to operations. Space-based
  meteorological payloads:
  * Detect terrestrial weather throughout the area of responsibility;
  * Provide timely receipt and access of weather observations from remote locations;
  * Detect space weather to forecast potential effects and understand actual effects on
  communications and space assets;
  * Detect soil moisture content which can support assessments of trafficability such as unrestricted,
  restricted, and severely restricted terrain based on recent precipitation and analysis of soil type;