58 



HOUSE COMMITTEE ON MERCHANT MARINE AND FISHERIES 



SUBCOMMITTEE ON OCEANOGRAPHY, 



GULF OF MEXICO AND THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF 



HEARING ON: DUAL USE OF DEFENSE TECHNOLOGY 



AUGUST 4, 1993 



QUESTIONS FOR THE RECORD TO MR. ROBERT W. WINOKUR 



Question 4. You refer to operational oceanographic products generated by 

 GEOSAT data. What are these products and who are the users? 



Answer: The GEOSAT FOLLOW-ON (GFO) is planned for mid FY-96. The CFG 

 data will be processed by a highly automated product-generation and 

 dissemination system enhanced by a rapid response, man-machine quality 

 control program. GFO data will be an input into ocean prediction models, 

 which in turn are tailored for specific Navy use in ASW, mine warfare, etc. 

 Sophisticated computer models will generate application specific and 

 generalized atmospheric, oceanographic, and acoustic products designed for the 

 needs of Navy weapons, sensors, and platforms. The operational products 

 which will employ the GEOSAT data include analyses of ocean surface wind 

 speed, wave height, sea state, surface currents, oceanographic fronts and 

 eddies, ice edge location and ocean prediction models for thermal structure and 

 acoustics. 



The end use for operational oceanographic products is the support of all 

 Navy aircraft, surface ship and submarine operations. For example, the 

 products are also used in locating fronts and eddies which are of importance to 

 ASW and other operations and for the Navy's Optimum Track Ship Routing 

 (OTSR) system, which is utilized to recommend routes to ships to avoid 

 hazardous weather conditions while saving time and/or fuel. 



UNCLASSIFIED 



