Active Sonar Automated Clutter Management MP 03-08

The goal is to develop an inexpensive and ubiquitous synthetic sonar operator training environment for Mid-Frequency Active Sonar (MFAS) systems which can be realized on inexpensive hardware. "Display ready data” will be generated as realizations of random fields that are based on statistical characterizations derived from real and modeled data. An effective and inexpensive supplement to full-physics approaches such as that used in SMMTT methods is envisioned. This random field approach is likely to come quite close to the fidelity of the full-physics approach. The ubiquitous nature of the targeted training hardware will allow operators to practice recognition skills much more frequently by making quality training available outside underway and team trainer access time. This is critical to the preservation and continued development of operator proficiency. It will also allow the operator to experience many more environments and scenarios than can be packed in the few days of training currently embedded in ship’s crew curricula.