Electric Field Sensor Technology

E-fields produced by submarines is a technology that is suited to the littoral environment and can be integrated into airborne ASW systems. E-field sensors can be configured to fit into"A"-size buoys for airborne deployment, supporting surveillance and attack missions. In the littoral, ducting effects increase E-field detection ranges as water depth decreases, with negligible impact from littoral sound velocity profiles. ISL has built and tested buoy-based E-field sensors that utilize AgCl electrodes in order to make ionic contact with the seawater. However, AgCl electrodes take time to come to equilibrium after launch, and must be immersed in seawater for storage. ISL proposes to develop a unique electrode made out of carbon aerogel, that has the advantages of a dry-storable electrode, but also has excellent ULF noise characteristics. ISL has already researched this new electrode type to a certain extent using internal R & D funds, and will leverage this legacy work in order to arrive at an optimal electrode for air-droppable E-field buoys, which is accurate at all frequencies, acclimates quickly, and is affordable. This will enable exploitation of E-field signals emitted by submarines and offers new modalities that will facilitate vessel classification and data fusion with acoustic sensors.