<s>
The	O
Advanced	B-Application
Weather	I-Application
Interactive	I-Application
Processing	I-Application
System	I-Application
(	O
AWIPS	B-Application
)	O
is	O
a	O
technologically	O
advanced	O
processing	O
,	O
display	B-Application
,	O
and	O
telecommunications	O
system	O
that	O
is	O
the	O
cornerstone	O
of	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
National	O
Weather	O
Service	O
's	O
(	O
NWS	O
)	O
operations	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
AWIPS	B-Application
is	O
a	O
complex	O
network	O
of	O
systems	O
that	O
ingests	O
and	O
integrates	O
meteorological	O
,	O
hydrological	O
,	O
satellite	B-Application
,	O
and	O
radar	B-Application
data	O
,	O
and	O
also	O
processes	O
and	O
distributes	O
the	O
data	O
to	O
135	O
Weather	O
Forecast	O
Offices	O
(	O
WFOs	O
)	O
and	O
River	O
Forecast	O
Centers	O
(	O
RFCs	O
)	O
nationwide	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Weather	O
forecasters	O
utilize	O
the	O
capabilities	O
of	O
AWIPS	B-Application
to	O
make	O
increasingly	O
accurate	O
weather	O
,	O
water	O
,	O
and	O
climate	O
predictions	O
,	O
and	O
to	O
dispense	O
rapid	O
,	O
highly	O
reliable	O
warnings	O
and	O
advisories	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
AWIPS	B-Application
system	O
architectural	O
design	O
is	O
driven	O
by	O
expandability	O
,	O
flexibility	O
,	O
availability	O
,	O
and	O
portability	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
AWIPS	B-Application
is	O
designed	O
so	O
that	O
software	O
and	O
data	O
can	O
be	O
migrated	O
to	O
new	O
platforms	O
as	O
technology	O
evolves	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
AWIPS	B-Application
replaced	O
the	O
Automation	O
of	O
Field	O
Operations	O
and	O
Services	O
(	O
AFOS	O
)	O
system	O
which	O
had	O
become	O
obsolete	O
and	O
was	O
very	O
difficult	O
to	O
maintain	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
AWIPS	B-Application
was	O
originally	O
developed	O
and	O
maintained	O
by	O
PRC	O
,	O
Inc	O
(	O
later	O
acquired	O
by	O
Northrop	O
Grumman	O
Information	O
Technology	O
)	O
with	O
installation	O
completed	O
in	O
1998	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Since	O
2005	O
,	O
Raytheon	O
has	O
been	O
NWS’	O
partner	O
for	O
the	O
operations	O
,	O
maintenance	O
and	O
evolution	O
of	O
AWIPS	B-Application
,	O
providing	O
the	O
integrated	O
mission	O
services	O
required	O
to	O
sustain	O
and	O
enhance	O
system	O
performance	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Together	O
they	O
provide	O
software	O
operations	O
and	O
maintenance	O
,	O
software	O
development	O
,	O
hardware	O
maintenance	O
and	O
logistics	O
,	O
commercial	O
off-the-shelf	O
software	O
maintenance	O
,	O
satellite	B-Application
communications	O
,	O
and	O
network	O
monitoring	O
and	O
control	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
the	O
architect	O
of	O
the	O
AWIPS	B-Application
evolution	O
,	O
Raytheon	O
designed	O
,	O
developed	O
,	O
and	O
released	O
the	O
system	O
's	O
next-generation	O
software	O
known	O
as	O
AWIPS	B-Application
II	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
AWIPS	B-Application
II	O
,	O
which	O
features	O
a	O
new	O
service	O
oriented	O
architecture	O
(	O
SOA	O
)	O
began	O
roll-out	O
in	O
late	O
2011	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
All	O
of	O
this	O
is	O
achieved	O
while	O
retaining	O
a	O
system	O
look	O
and	O
feel	O
that	O
makes	O
the	O
AWIPS	B-Application
evolution	O
appear	O
similar	O
to	O
the	O
user	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
AWIPS	B-Application
program	O
office	O
is	O
working	O
in	O
conjunction	O
with	O
the	O
National	O
Centers	O
for	O
Environmental	O
Prediction	O
(	O
NCEP	O
)	O
to	O
incorporate	O
the	O
NAWIPS	O
baseline	O
software	O
used	O
by	O
the	O
NCEP	O
centers	O
,	O
National	O
Hurricane	O
Center	O
(	O
NHC	O
)	O
/	O
Aviation	O
Weather	O
Center	O
(	O
AWC	O
)	O
/	O
Storm	O
Prediction	O
Center	O
(	O
SPC	O
)	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
the	O
Weather	O
Prediction	O
Center	O
(	O
formerly	O
Hydrometeorological	O
Prediction	O
Center	O
)	O
and	O
Ocean	O
Prediction	O
Center	O
(	O
WPC	O
and	O
OPC	O
)	O
into	O
the	O
AWIPSII	O
baseline	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
commissioning	O
of	O
a	O
new	O
AWIPS	B-Application
site	O
,	O
the	O
first	O
since	O
the	O
Huntsville	O
Weather	O
Forecast	O
Office	O
in	O
2002	O
,	O
will	O
also	O
be	O
part	O
of	O
this	O
effort	O
at	O
the	O
Space	O
Weather	O
Prediction	O
Center	O
(	O
SWPC	O
)	O
in	O
Boulder	O
,	O
CO	O
.	O
</s>
