Space

Meteorological Information Standard Terminal (MIST)

The mission of Meteorological Information Standard Terminal (MIST) is to provide a Defense Information Infrastructure (DII) compliant integrated weather forecasting and information system to replace existing user terminals and distribution functions of Air Force Digital Graphics Systems (AFDIGS), Automated Digital Facsimile System (ADFS), Meteorological Data System (MEDS) and Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES). MIST, as the replacement for these systems, will provide the Department of Defense (DOD) critical weather forecasting and weather warning information worldwide to support a variety of air and ground operations, resource protection, and flight planning requirements to include air reconnaissance, air strike sorties, airlift (logistics and force movement), and force mobilization and deployment scheduling to support deliberate, crisis action and contingency operations worldwide. MIST is primarily an in-garrison (fixed DII CONUS and OCONUS sites) weather forecasting and information system supporting Unified, Subunified and Specified Commands (USSTRATCOM, USTRANSCOM, USSPACECOM, USFK, etc.), Air Force Component Commands, MAJCOMs and numbered AF, the Pentagon, and other AF, Army, Navy, Guard and Reserve facilities having flying or flight support missions. As an austere requirement MIST shall have the ability to be used in the deployed environment to provided deployed forces the same weather forecasting and information services as available when in-garrison. In terms of the DII, MIST is a component of the Global Combat Support System (GCSS) pillar and as such shall be developed to conform to the requirements of GCSS.

MIST shall consist of an open systems environment, multi-tasking client/server system and architecture, and associated components providing for the distribution, processing, display and output of alphanumeric, graphics and polar-orbiting and geostationary satellite imagery products or other weather related information. MIST shall replace the functionality of four existing systems (AFDIGS, ADFS, MEDS and GOES) with a single integrated nonproprietary system that utilizes common communications infrastructure and standard information processing functions to accomplish distribution/dissemination, input/collection, display and output of information currently provided by these four systems. MIST shall be implemented in a systematic replacement of the four legacy systems with Block1 comprising AFDIGS/ADFS replacement and Block2 that of MEDS/GOES.

The MIST system shall be developed and delivered to provide full and seamless integrated service across all utilized components within its client/server domain. These shall include communication components, data distribution and processing, workstation display and manipulation functions as well as interface with required legacy systems and components to permit imagery, alphanumeric, and graphics products to be collectively distributed ("push or pull") in an integrated fashion over the DOD common user network (NIPRNet/AFIN) to all required recipients, via access from their respective local area or enterprise networks, in a manner to provide end users with the capability of performing all required weather related tasks from a single work station. This integration shall eliminate any need for separate stand-alone "stovepipe" equipment, proprietary software or maintenance agreements, and subsystem specific user support services. Use of DII compliant standard practices, commercial of-the-shelf (COTS) or Government off-the-shelf (GOTS) components, and information formats shall be required for all MIST developmental and non-developmental system components and processes. This shall include hardware, software and source information to allow for exchange of weather information among MIST system participants and other DII/GCSS compliant applications or office automation tools and users thereby providing further flexibility and responsiveness to mission requirements.

MIST shall be designed, developed and deployed to enable worldwide NIPRNet/AFIN utilization via a client/server open systems architecture solution that is compliant with the DII Common Operating Environment (COE) and the Global Communications Support System. NIPRNet/AFIN shall be utilized exclusively to meet MIST wide area communications requirements and interface to user specific local and enterprise networks, to eliminate the myriad of point-to-point leased lines, uplinks, and devices associated with stovepipe communications or proprietary applications and protocols that are involved with the existing systems to be replaced. MIST will provide a nonproprietary, easy-to-use, flexible platform to support in-garrison weather forecasting for operational planning and execution during peacetime or periods of conflict. The MIST system represents the initial stages of a GCSS joint weather capability and migration of AF AWS weather forecasting systems and services from a proprietary or nonstandard, stovepipe set of systems to an integrated open DII system to provide DOD combat support elements critical weather information and services.