JET has landed at the 412th OSS weather flight

  • Published
  • 412th Operations Support Squadron
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  This month, the Joint Environmental Toolkit was approved for use here at the base weather station and its personnel have been training on the new system in anticipation of it going fully operational this summer.

JET provides the weather flight with a single, fully integrated system of weather analyses, forecasting and dissemination capabilities to replace a number of currently disparate systems. Officials say JET will ensure that accurate weather data reaches war fighters. It will also save time and money. One big advantage of JET is that Edwards weather flight customers can simply log into a website to get weather updates.

Currently, customers get their weather information through the New-Tactical Forecast System (N-TFS), which is a software loaded desktop program. Customers need to open a ticket with the IT office to load the software. Weather warnings, watches and advisories are viewable in N-TFS. They also get weather updates online at https://bsx.edwards.af.mil/weather/index.html.

"The downside to the BSX web page is it will not show weather warnings, watches and advisories," said Brian Siciliano, 412th Operations Support Squadron, weather station manager.

All JET customers need is a log-in I.D. and password and then JET will send them all the latest weather information automatically once they are logged in."

Over the last few months, the Edwards JET system administrator has loaded all of the weather station customers, as spelled out in the Weather Support Plan into JET. Customers are typically flight operations desks, the Command Post, and the Resource Operations Center. Unfortunately at this time, JET still requires a log-in I.D. and password even though everyone uses a CAC to log-in to the Edwards network. To access JET, customers need to log-in to the Edwards network then go to https://wxjet.edwards.af.mil/jetspeed/portal/. If customers need a log-in I.D. and password for JET, they can click on "New Account", enter their details and click submit. This request will go directly to the Edwards JET system administrator.

"Once approved, JET will save time and money because if we get a new customer on base, all they need for weather updates is a JET log-in I.D. and password," said Mr. Siciliano. "They will not need to open a ticket with IT to load software on their desktop and special terminals and computers are not required to view it."

Mr. Siciliano said the most important thing that JET will send will be weather warnings, watches and advisories for the Edwards flying community.

In order for JET to become fully operational here, the Air Force Weather Agency at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska and the 25th Operational Weather Squadron at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona will need to give Edwards the go-ahead. At this time, the 25th OWS is still in the process of integrating JET into their normal procedures. JET has the potential to be a heavily improved operational weather system and the anticipated time frame for JET going fully operational at Edwards is June or July.