'Hurricane Hunters' done with Elsa

KEESLER AFB, Miss. - The Air Force Reserve’s 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron (WRS) “Hurricane Hunters’ wrapped up its aerial reconnaissance efforts for Hurricane/Tropical Storm Elsa on July 7 after the storm made landfall in the Big Bend area of Florida. The storm continues to ramble up the East Coast. The 53rd WRS, assigned to the 403rd Wing at Keesler AFB, is the only unit of its kind in the Defense Department. In coordination with the National Hurricane Center and the chief, Aerial Reconnaissance Coordination All Hurricanes team, the unit fly missions into tropical systems to collect atmospheric data used by forecasters to create more accurate models. The squadron has 10 specially modified WC-130J Super Hercules for the missions. (Source: 403rd Wing 07/08/21) Hurricane Hunters wrap up Elsa recon ahead of landfall > U.S. Air Force > Article Display (af.mil)