TSS Solutions, an Acorn Capital Management Company, has completed a six-year radar antenna pedestal refurbishment for 161 WSR-88D Radars comprising the United States’ Next Generation Weather Radar network (NEXRAD). The project was part of the U.S. Department of Commerce/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) NEXRAD Service Life Extension Program (SLEP).

The National Weather Service relies on the NEXRAD network to supply forecasters with detailed and timely data that is used to warn communities about severe weather threats. Originally deployed in the 1990s leveraging technology developed in the 1980s, NEXRAD underwent only incremental upgrades prior to the SLEP, which included 25 radar systems owned and maintained by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and 12 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) systems.

Minimizing downtime was mission-critical for the pedestal refurbishment, as NEXRAD is crucial to ensuring public safety as well as protecting commerce, maritime operations, and aviation. To accomplish this, TSS Solutions developed and employed a customized round-robin approach, which included shipping TSS-upgraded and thoroughly tested pre-assembled pedestals to the radar sites. This ensured an efficient installation process , no disruptions to schedules for other upgrades, and no compromise of NOAA’s operations.

“The importance of the work TSS performed for this SLEP cannot be overstated. These systems comprise critical national security, life-safety infrastructure,” said Don DiFrisco, President and CEO of TSS Solutions. “This project touched the very heart of the National Weather Service’s mission, as well as the missions of the FAA and DoD, and the outstanding work done by our technicians reflects the commitment to excellence that drives our team at TSS Solutions.”

Terry Clark, Director of the NEXRAD Radar Operations Center for NOAA, echoed the importance of the project. “Our contract with TSS on the Pedestal Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) assured NWS forecast operations and NEXRAD maintainability to be extended beyond 2035,” Clark said. “In addition, the improved system reliability into the future assures delivery of highly accurate and timely weather radar data that impacts 10 of 12 NWS service areas, ultimately protecting lives and our nation’s emergency response to severe weather conditions.”

Source: BUSINESS WIRE