ADM-Aeolus, the atmospheric dynamics mission of the European Space Agency (ESA), has been selected as a core explorer mission in 1999. Its main objective is to provide a global 3D coverage of atmospheric winds for the first time in history. ADM-Aeolus is a polar orbiting satellite carrying a Doppler wind lidar (ALADIN) measuring a single line-of-sight wind component. ALADIN is a High Spectral Resolution Lidar (HSRL) capable to retrieve winds from the measured backscatter from atmospheric aerosols and molecules. ADM-Aeolus is scheduled for launch in April 2011. The presentation will focus on the need for global 3D winds for NWP, the sampling and data coverage of ADM and expected added value for NWP from simulation and impact studies.