page_title: United States Air Force
section_title: W – Weather reconnaissance
hierarchical_section_title: United States Air Force / Aircraft inventory / W – Weather reconnaissance
caption_attribution_description: English: A WC-130J Hercules from the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron Hurricane Hunters flies a mission. The Air Force Reserve squadron is part of the 403rd Wing at Keesler Air Force Base, Miss. The data collected by the Hurricane Hunters increases the accuracy of the National Hurricane Center Forecast by 30 percent.
context_page_description: The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services. Initially formed as a part of the United States Army on 1 August 1907, the USAF was established as a separate branch of the U.S. Armed Forces on 18 September 1947 with the passing of the National Security Act of 1947. It is the second youngest branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, and the fourth in order of precedence. The U.S. Air Force articulates its core missions as air superiority, global integrated intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, rapid global mobility, global strike, and command and control.
  The U.S. Air Force is a military service branch organized within the Department of the Air Force, one of the three military departments of the Department of Defense. The Air Force, through the Department of the Air Force, is headed by the civilian Secretary of the Air Force, who reports to the Secretary of Defense, and is appointed by the President with Senate confirmation.
context_section_description: These aircraft are used to study meteorological events such as hurricanes and typhoons.
  WC-130J Hurricane Hunter
  WC-135C and WC-135W Constant Phoenix
caption: A WC-130J Hercules from the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron
exif: {"Image ImageDescription": "The 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron \"Hurricane Hunters\" are ready to fly into the 2007 Hurricane Season. The Air Force Reserve squadron is part of the 403rd Wing at Keesler AFB, Miss. This year, the planes will be equipped with the Stepped-Frequency Microwave Radiometer, which measures the wind speeds at the surface. \nThe data collected by the Hurricane Hunters increases the accuracy of the National Hurricane Center Forecast by 30 percent. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Tech. Sgt. James B. Pritchett)", "Image Orientation": "Horizontal (normal)", "Image XResolution": "200", "Image YResolution": "200", "Image ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Image Software": "Adobe Photoshop CS3 Macintosh", "Image DateTime": "2008:07:11 13:32:41", "Image Artist": "TSgt James Pritchett", "Image ExifOffset": "712", "Thumbnail Compression": "JPEG (old-style)", "Thumbnail XResolution": "72", "Thumbnail YResolution": "72", "Thumbnail ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormat": "850", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormatLength": "3187", "EXIF ColorSpace": "Uncalibrated", "EXIF ExifImageWidth": "1000", "EXIF ExifImageLength": "495"}