NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, PATUXENT RIVER, Md. -- The Moriah Wind System is giving the Navy the opportunity to use and measure wind to the Fleet’s advantage.

A digital wind measurement system, Moriah provides wind speed and direction information, such as crosswind and headwind, to aid in decision making for air operations, combat, navigation, tactical planning and firefighting.

Basically an upgrade for the existing wind system, Moriah relies on digital anemometers instead of analog ones.

“Technology that measures and collects data is and always has been essential to the Navy,” said Capt. Randy Mahr, program manager for Aircraft Launch and Recovery Equipment (PMA-251) here. “Moriah gives us the opportunity to be better-decision makers with our equipment by capturing crucial wind data. It has become an essential tool for our Sailors.”

To safely land on a carrier, aircraft require specific data on wind speed and direction in approach in order to land safely.

“Moriah measures and calculates the wind around the ship, which gives the air boss the wind speed and direction,” said John Majka, team lead for the Moriah Wind System located at Naval Air Engineering Station Lakehurst, N.J. “He then reports that information to the ship’s captain, so he can decide what direction to position the ship in order to get the ideal wind conditions for a landing aircraft.”

The system is composed of digital wind sensors (two to three per ship), processors capable of interfacing and relaying the acquired wind data to local area networks and legacy computer systems, and both high-end and low-end displays displaying the captures information.

Located at the very top of the ship, the sensors collect data as the wind that passes through the sensors breaks an electrical charge. The sensors then measure the data and feed the information into a processor, which distributes the information to the on-board displays.

“We also just released a Moriah software upgrade to the carriers, allowing them to look at launch and recovery requirements for different types of aircraft, helicopters in particular,” said Majka. “This upgrade allows the high-end displays to show schematics of safe and reliable winds, as well as what sorts of angles the aircraft can come in on.”

In addition to providing wind data measurements for returning aircraft, Moriah also feeds vital information the ship’s self defense systems.

PMA-251 program manages the development, demonstration and acquisition of operational advances in aviation data management and control systems, expeditionary airfields and all launch and recovery related products.

-- 30 --