[2] To address the issue a major recruitment campaign was implemented over a five-year period and in August 2000 the MMU became the first ever Sponsored Reserve Unit in the British Armed Forces.

The move was part of a policy of making greater use of skills in the civilian sector, whereby personnel provide specialist support to the military on operations, as a continuation of their regular peacetime work.

It is an Air Combat Service Support Unit (ACSSU) and comprises meteorologists and engineers who normally work for the civilian Met Office but when required can be actively deployed as part of the military in times of war, crisis, peace-keeping operations and exercises in the UK or overseas.

[7] Located at RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire, the MMU HQ is staffed by 13 full-time personnel, with the other 55 staff based at various Met Offices across the UK and Europe.

[8] NATO Met Information System The MMU contributes to the safety and effectiveness of air and aviation operations in deployed theatres, particularly in areas experiencing extreme environmental conditions.