 The objective of Project BATON was the analysis of the life history of thunderstorms . A Department of Defense research activity supported by the Advanced Research Project Agency , Project BATON sought to expand understanding of storm physics as an aid to weather forecasting , fire prevention , and , possibly , for artificially controlling the weather . Dr. Helmut Weickmann , as an employee of the U.S , Army Signal Research and Development Laboratory , and Dr. Paul McReady of Meteorology Research , Inc . , were joint leaders of the Project BATON team . 
