Atmospheric Acoustic Propagation Prediction

Acoustic signatures radiating to the ground enable the enemy to aurally detect, locate, and classify inbound U.S. tactical aircraft. Multi-Service and multi-agency requirements exist to study the problem and to develop countermeasures, yet no capability currently exists to adequately assess our vulnerability problem. To address these applications, a modular system of acoustical tools is proposed to integrate the physical factors controlling the reception of the acoustical signatures on the battlefield. First and foremost, this system will provide a prediction of the noise from a source to a receiver location. However, behind this simple concept several physical factors influence the received signal. These factors include source emission characteristics, atmospheric conditions, and receiver capabilities along with the integration of the individual uncertainties. The primary factors in these uncertainties are the atmospheric conditions since they generate the most variation in the received signal. Each of these factors has current and on-going development, which will be leveraged for the proposed system. However, the integration and interaction of the uncertainties is required for accurate determination of risk and identification of enemy movements.