The Airborne ASW Platform as an Underwater Sound Source

Signal Systems Corporation (SSC) will show, using a simulation-based approach, the extent to which it is feasible to use airborne ASW platforms as an underwater sound source useful in submarine echo detection. SSC will develop ocean acoustics models which include the refracted paths and the evanescent path, and are capable of modeling the air/water interface. Airborne multi-tonal and broadband low frequency sources will be used as excitation sources. These model components will be incorporated into existing SSC multistatic coherent sonar performance simulations and used in conjunction with the Likelihood Ratio Tracker (LRT) model to determine the feasibility of the approach, optimal configurations, and requirements for specifically designed airborne sources. In addition SSC will conduct a tradeoff study concerning available source noise generation alternatives for the infrasonic frequency source generation mechanism which will be will be experimentally verified (Phase I Option) to fully explore the feasibility of the evanescent (lateral wave) excitation path. Finally, SSC will assess the advantage of using ship based towed arrays as receivers for these airborne sources.