Military walks back plan to discontinue some weather data
A new statement says that the Navy's Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center will still distribute data from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program beyond Thursday.
The government previously said the data would be discontinued after Thursday.
The Defense Meteorological Satellite Program has collected weather data for military operations for more than 50 years.
Rick Spinrad, who led the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration under President Biden, previously told The Hill that getting rid of this data could worsen the country's hurricane forecast abilities.
Navy spokesperson Ferry Gene Baylon said in an email that the meteorology and oceanography center 'had planned to phase out the data as part of a Defense Department modernization effort.'
'But after feedback from government partners, officials found a way to meet modernization goals while keeping the data flowing until the sensor fails or the program formally ends in September 2026,' Baylon said, adding that the September date is not new.
Previously when it had announced that it was shutting down the data, the government cited a 'cybersecurity risk.' The Navy spokesperson did not directly address The Hill's question about what happened to this risk.
Rep. Eric Sorensen (D-Ill.), who previously worked as a meteorologist, praised the decision to keep the data flowing.
'I'm glad the Department of Defense has heeded the warnings of meteorologists, like me, who were concerned their short-sighted decision would degrade forecasts,' he said in a written statement.
The nation's weather forecast services generally have come under scrutiny in recent weeks after more than 130 people were killed in deadly flooding in Texas.
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A new statement says that the Navy's Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center will still distribute data from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program beyond Thursday. The government previously said the data would be discontinued after Thursday. The Defense Meteorological Satellite Program has collected weather data for military operations for more than 50 years. Rick Spinrad, who led the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration under President Biden, previously told The Hill that getting rid of this data could worsen the country's hurricane forecast abilities. Navy spokesperson Ferry Gene Baylon said in an email that the meteorology and oceanography center 'had planned to phase out the data as part of a Defense Department modernization effort.' 'But after feedback from government partners, officials found a way to meet modernization goals while keeping the data flowing until the sensor fails or the program formally ends in September 2026,' Baylon said, adding that the September date is not new. The government cited a 'cybersecurity risk' when it initially announced it was shutting down the data. The Navy spokesperson did not directly address The Hill's question about what happened to this risk.
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