Exelis becomes NOAA Weather-Ready Nation ambassador

Exelis (NYSE: XLS) has become an ambassador for a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) initiative named the Weather-Ready Nation. This initiative recognizes NOAA partners that are improving the nation’s readiness, responsiveness and overall resilience against extreme weather, water and climate events.

"Exelis shares NOAA’s vision of building a Weather-Ready Nation," said Louis Uccellini, Ph.D., director of NOAA's National Weather Service. "Working together we will provide useful and relevant information to communities, businesses and individuals to help them become ready, responsive and resilient to extreme weather and water events."

The Weather-Ready Nation initiative helps unify these efforts across government, nonprofits, academia and private industry. Partners commit to working with NOAA and other ambassadors to strengthen national resilience against extreme weather.

One way Exelis supports a Weather-Ready Nation is by providing ground validation of weather conditions using its Helios platform, which provides real-time ground weather intelligence. Helios processes millions of images from an aggregated set of public and private traffic cameras to provide unique information products that improve driver safety and efficiency. This environmental intelligence fills a hyperlocal weather data gap that can leave drivers guessing about real-time conditions.

“The Weather-Ready Nation initiative is a natural fit for Exelis because we have been working with NOAA for decades to provide the most accurate data to inform forecasts,” said Eric Webster, Exelis vice president of environmental intelligence. “We continue to look for innovative ways to improve predictions and validate current conditions.”

The Helios platform follows a long history of innovation supporting the National Weather Service. Exelis has built more than 60 weather satellite instruments over decades. The Cross-track Infrared Sounder, for example, provides daily measurements used by the National Weather Service to enhance numerical weather prediction model forecasts, aiding in both short- and long-term weather forecasts. After the Advanced Baseline Imager is operational on board the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-R series satellite, it too will also improve public safety. The Advanced Baseline Imager will provide three times more data at four times the resolution and five times faster than today’s satellites to improve forecasts.

About Exelis

Exelis is a diversified, top-tier global aerospace, defense, information and services company that leverages a greater than 50-year legacy of deep customer knowledge and technical expertise to deliver affordable, mission-critical solutions for global customers. Exelis is a leader in positioning and navigation, sensors, air traffic management solutions, image processing and distribution, communications and information systems; and focused on strategic growth in the areas of critical networks, ISR and analytics, electronic warfare and composite aerostructures. Headquartered in McLean, Virginia, Exelis employs approximately 10,000 people and generated 2014 sales of approximately $3.3 billion For more information, visit our website at www.exelisinc.com or connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube.