By Maj. Marnee A.C. Losurdo, 403rd Wing Public Affairs / Published September 02, 2015
The 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, or "Hurricane Hunters," is an Air Force Reserve unit assigned to the 403rd Wing, Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi. The unit provides meteorological data to the National Hurricane Center in Miami to improve their forecasts. While the squadron is aligned under AFRC, weather reconnaissance taskings originate at the NHC, which falls, not under the Department of Defense, but the Department of Commerce. (U.S. Air Force graphic)
The Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunters at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi, fly the state-of-the-art WC-130J aircraft for weather reconnaissance missions. The aircraft is a C-130J transport configured with palletized weather instrumentation for penetration of tropical disturbances and storms, hurricanes and winter storms to obtain data on movement, size and intensity.The WC-130J carries a minimal crew of five: pilot, co-pilot, navigator, aerial reconnaissance weather officer and weather reconnaissance loadmaster. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Ryan Labadens)