Acoustic Surveillance Multi-Array Search Aid

The IUSS operators detect, localize, classify and report contacts of interest based on displays of acoustic data from one or more arrays of hydrophones. Currently, operators search through large amounts of information presented on acoustic displays. When there are a large number of arrays, the amount of information that an operator must examine becomes overwhelming. There is a loss of overall system performance resulting from a decrease in the probability of reporting contacts of interest. Effective multi-array search aids are necessary for the operator to quickly grasp the tactical picture and how that picture relates to the large volume of acoustic data available for analysis. In Phase I we will develop an operational concept for an acoustic surveillance multi-array search aid which uses contact information and associated features generated by existing signal processing algorithms as the inputs to a new acoustic data fusion engine and OMI displays. The operator's attention is first directed to contacts which are more likely to be targets of interest.