Active Sonar Interference Avoidance Planning

Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) acoustic mission planning is a very complex problem that needs to take into account many factors to achieve overall mission objectives. Blue Force capabilities and vulnerabilities, Red Force capabilities and vulnerabilities, ASW mission posture and priority, search time allocation, area size, and environmental factors all play a significant role in determining the best course of action (COA) to successfully achieve mission objectives. Each one of these factors can affect overall sensor performance and/or probability of detection and require experienced planners to take each factor into account while trying to develop optimal COAs, search routes, and sensor lineups. The Navy has made significant investments in developing tools addressing the challenges referenced above, aiding the planners in creating effective ASW Mission Plans. However, one area that could benefit from additional enhancement is in assisting the users in the development of an improved Active Sensor Interference Avoidance Plan (ASIAP) and/or search methodology that will reduce the likelihood of mutual interference (MI). The focus of this proposal is to outline an approach for solving this problem through the use of automation tools and visual aids to better integrate ASIAP factors in the overall mission planning process.