A new supercomputer in Monterey boosts the Navy’s ability to predict the weather.

Capt. Mathias Roth likens the U.S. Navy’s previous computer system in Monterey that predicts the weather and ocean patterns to that of an iPhone 8. It still can do the job, but it’s about 6 years old, which in technology terms, might as well be from the stone age.

On Aug. 28, the Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center (FNMOC), based in Monterey, celebrated the arrival of a new supercomputer after a three-year process from planning to implementation, and a partnership officials say will put the Navy on the cutting edge of technology to support its mission.

FNMOC joined forces with Hewlett Packard Enterprise and M2 Technology to add a supercomputer known as an HPE Cray to its operations, which predicts weather conditions from the depth of the ocean to the tip of the atmosphere.

Roth, who is the commanding officer of FNMOC, says the agreement between the Navy and the tech companies does away with the old model of procurement, where the Navy would buy new systems as it was able, often struggling to maintain older computers as well as making sure mismatched systems were compatible with each other.

Now, the Navy can leverage its partnership with HPE and M2 to update its computers on a more frequent basis, Roth says, adding that they are all under one system, increasing efficiency and aiding staff.

Sensors from around the world feed data into the supercomputers, which then create models that predict everything from wave heights in the ocean to water temperature, humidity and countless other variables.

These models are shared across the entire Department of Defense, and used for global humanitarian assistance efforts, natural disaster relief, war-fighting and other purposes, such as for search-and-rescue operations in the Monterey Bay.

“This is such a game-changer for us,” Roth says of the new supercomputer. “It’s huge for the Navy.”