Title: [2025] Weather as a Force Multiplier: Owning the Weather in 2025 Subject: Military applications of weather modification in 2025.

Author(s): Ronald J. Celentano; Tamzy J. House (Faculty Advisor); David Mark Husband; Ann E. Mercer; James B. Near (Faculty Advisor); James E.

Pugh; William B. Shields
http://www.au.af.mil/au/2025/volume3/chap15/vol3ch15.pdf

DTIC Keywords: ANTIFOGGING AGENTS, ANTIFOGGING DEVICES, ATMOSPHERES, CLEAR WEATHER, CLOUDS, CONTROLLED

ATMOSPHERES, CROSSWINDS, FOG, FOG DISPERSAL, HAIL, IONOSPHERE, LIGHTNING, RAIN, RAINFALL INTENSITY, STORMS,

THUNDERSTORMS, UPPER ATMOSPHERE, WEATHER, WEATHER COMMUNICATIONS, WEATHER FORECASTING, WEATHER

MODIFICATION, WIND, WIND SHEAR
Abstract: In 2025 US aerospace forces can "own the weather" by capitalizing on emerging technologies and focusing development of those technologies to warfighting applications. Such a capability offers the warfighter tools to shape the battlespace in ways never before possible. It provides opportunities to impact operations across the full spectrum of conflict and is pertinent to all possible futures. The purpose of this paper is to outline a strategy for the use of a future weather modification system to achieve military objectives rather than to provide a detailed technical road map.

A high risk/high reward endeavor, weather modification offers a dilemma not unlike the splitting of the atom. While some segments of society will always be reluctant to examine controversial issues such as weather modification, the tremendous military capabilities that could result from this field are ignored at our own peril. From enhancing friendly operations or disrupting those of the enemy via small-scale tailoring of natural weather patterns, to complete dominance of global communications and counter-space control, weather modification offers the warfighter a wide range of possible options to defeat or coerce an adversary.

Technology advancements in five major areas are necessary for an integrated weather modification capability:

(1) advanced nonlinear modeling techniques,

(2) computational capability

(3) information gathering and transmission

(4) a global sensor array, and

(5) weather intervention techniques. Some intervention

tools exist today and others may be developed and refined in the future.
Current technologies which will mature over the next thirty years will offer anyone who has the necessary resources the ability to modify weather patterns and their corresponding effects, at least on the local scale. Current demographic, economic, and environmental trends will create global stresses that provide the impetus necessary for many countries or groups to turn this weather modification ability into a capability. In the US, weather modification will likely become a part of national security policy with both domestic and international applications. Our government will pursue such a policy, depending on its interests, at various levels. These levels could include: unilateral actions, participation in a security framework such as NATO, membership in an international organization such as the UN, or participation in a coalition. Assuming that in 2025 our national security strategy includes weather modification, its use in our national military strategy will naturally follow. Besides the significant benefits an operational capability would provide, another motivation to pursue weather modification is to deter and counter potential adversaries.

In this paper we show that appropriate application of weather modification can provide battlespace dominance to a degree never before imagined. In the future, such operations will enhance air and space superiority and provide new options for battlespace shaping and battlespace awareness. "The technology is there, waiting for us to pull it all together;" in 2025 we can "Own the Weather."