Instrumental Error Tolerance in Theodolite Measurements of Upper Winds

Modern military conflicts highlight the need for military equipment to be independent of GNSS and radio communications,which are vulnerable to interference and can reveal the position of troops. In military meteorology, GNSS enables measurementsof upper-level winds, which are crucial, among other things, for parachuting. However, there are alternative and GNSS-independenttheodolite methods of measuring upper winds that can be successfully used in military meteorological support. Theodolites, despitetheir precision, are vulnerable to damages that can affect the accuracy of measurements. The authors of the paper conducted research todetermine the acceptable instrumental errors of theodolites required for reliable measuring wind speed and direction according to theWorld Meteorological Organization (WMO) standards. The results indicate that for meteorological purposes, the maximum error ofcollimation and vertical circle index should not exceed 0,1.