Overseeing the agreement was Brig. Gen. Robert C. Hinson, AFSPC Director of Operations, and Robert S. Winokur, NOAA�s Assistant Administrator for Satellite Information Services.

The Air Force transferred operation of the military weather satellite system, the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program, today to NOAA�s National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System Integrated Program Office. NOAA will merge DMSP with their current civilian satellite system, called the Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite and head a single system serving both civilian and military customers.

"This merger is a force multiplier, maximizing efforts of personnel and material resources," said Hinson. "By giving operational control of DMSP to NOAA, we�ll realize savings that can be applied to other important military space programs."

Winokur stated, "The transfer of DMSP operations to the Integrated Program Office marks another major, important milestone in our commitment to implementing weather satellite convergence, and building a true operational partnership to satisfy the requirements of the civil and military weather community."

Winokur said that the convergence is a true success story. "All the individuals involved in the DMSP operations transfer and overall development of NPOESS are to be congratulated for a job well done," he said.

The merger, directed by President Clinton in May 1994, came after a National Performance Review identified overall savings of $1.3 billion for the Departments of Defense and Commerce by combining the two programs into one.

Some of the savings the Air Force will realize will come from the closure of the Air Force�s 6th Space Operations Squadron at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. After nearly 35 years of continuous operations, the squadron will officially close June 11.

Over the past 20 years, the Air Force and NOAA have used similar spacecraft and rockets, shared products derived from the data, provided complementary environmental data to the nation, and worked together on research and development for their separate programs. This substantial commonality helped the programs to actualize the current convergence.

NOAA�s Suitland, Maryland Satellite Operations Control Center will become the primary operating location for the new single weather system. Beginning in October, Air Force Reserves will operate an alternate facility at Falcon AFB, Colo.

Hinson noted how the merger was a significant partnering effort between the military and civilian space organizations. "This transition has been a tremendous teaming success story. Since the President�s decision, everyone has worked together to keep this project on time and on target," he said. The original schedule called for a transfer by not later than June 30.

Hinson attributes the successful merger to a commitment by both parties to a cooperative relationship. "A properly functioning partnership or team can accomplish far more than any individual efforts," he said. "This is especially true when we have trust, mutual understanding, and a true sense of selflessness from all involved parties."

Merging the operational control of the satellites is the initial step to the ultimate goal: developing a single integrated environmental satellite system. When complete, this system will meet the needs of both military and civil requirements and be known as the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System.

A significant challenge of establishing a fully converged system is determining how to transition from the current programs to a new single program. The approach selected by the agencies allows each agency to fly out its existing and programmed assets while immediately creating an Integrated Program Office to develop and acquire the converged system. The first satellite in the new system will be available for launch in July 2007, after NOAA and the Defense Department have both exhausted the satellites currently in the "pipeline".