scope:

- This handbook provides climatic data primarily for use in engineering analyses to develop and test military equipment and materiel.

The data provided are intended to serve as natural environmental starting points for the sequence of engineering analyses to derive environmental design criteria for materiel. The climatic data are also intended to provide guidance in the development of environmental tests of materiel.

(a) This handbook provides climatic information for land, sea, and air environments in which military materiel may be required to operate. These data represent free air (ambient) conditions, and are not to be confused with the response of materiel, either to these conditions, or to those of a platform on or within which the materiel might be located.

(b) Selection of specific climatic values in this handbook should be made only after determining: (1) the area of geographic deployment; (2) handling and logistics requirements; and (3) the operational requirements of the materiel being developed (see 4.3.3).

(a) Climatic data for the region south of 60°S latitude are excluded from consideration in this document.

(b) The climatic data in this handbook should not be used in the development of materiel for a specific geographic location or an anomalous site such as a mountain top. This type of climatic support may be obtained through the Office of Primary Responsibility (OPR) for each military service (see 4.6).

(c) The possible adverse effects of climatic conditions upon materiel are not discussed in this handbook.

(d) This handbook does not include induced environments such as may be encountered in storage or transit or caused by a platform on or within which the materiel might be located.

(e) Unless otherwise indicated, information provided for a climatic element does not occur at the same time and/or place as information provided for another climatic element.

(f) The climatic data in this handbook should not be used directly as test values without consulting MIL-STD-810 or other appropriate environmental test documentation.

intended Use:

This data provided are intended to serve as natural environment for the starting points of sequence engineering analysis to derive environmental design criteria for material.