NOAA extends Raytheon contract

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration extended an existing contract to provide high-performance computing capabilities for its Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory.

Potentially worth more than $32 million, the extension adds three years to the original contract between Raytheon Co. and NOAA, a branch of the Commerce Department.

Raytheon will continue to deliver and support an integrated, high-performance computing system that includes a large-scale computational cluster, an analysis cluster, a hierarchical storage management system, home directory file server and software.

The Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory, located in Princeton, N.J., uses computer simulations to examine complex fluid systems of the atmosphere and oceans. Scientists hope to increase understanding of weather and hurricane forecasts, El Nino prediction, ozone layer depletion and global warming.

"GFDL performs research in support of NOAA's strategic goals to understand climate variability and change and serve society's need for weather information," said GFDL Deputy Director Brian Gross.