USAF upgrading Hurricane Hunter plane

MARIETTA, Ga., May 11 (UPI) -- New equipment is being installed aboard a U.S. "Hurricane Hunter" plane that will provide more precise tracking of the storms.

The SFMR (Stepped Frequency Microwave Radiometer) system will enable forecasters to obtain a better idea of where a hurricane is headed through the data that will be gathered by the Air Force's 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron based on the Gulf Coast.

The system is being installed at the Lockheed Martin plant in Marietta, Ga., the aerospace company said in a statement Friday.

SFMR is currently deployed aboard P-3 Orion aircraft belonging to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and will soon be flying aboard a rugged WC-130J, deployed to the 53rd just in time for Hurricane Katrina.

Hurricane Hunters have been taking measurements of outside conditions for decades, but they have been flight-level and not necessarily giving an accurate picture of what is going on at the surface. The SFMR looks down on the surface of the ocean and basically uses a measure of the brightness of the water that translates through computer algorithms into a more-precise forecast of strength, speed and direction of the storm.

Forecasters will be able to provide a better idea of where the storm will make landfall and also cut down on "over warnings" that lead to unnecessary evacuations.

"The WC-130J SFMR-equipped aircraft will provide a higher level of confidence in how fast the wind is blowing at the surface of the water, thereby enhancing the ability to issue more accurate watches and warnings," said Lt. Col. Roy Deatherage of the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron. "The NHC is very excited about this new system because it will provide uninterrupted surface wind data throughout the entire mission."