Noncooperative Tracking of Underwater Vehicle

A novel non-acoustic shallow-water tracking concept for underwater vehicles currently under development is further refined to the point where system performance capabilities and limitations can be reasonably predicted and system design tradeoffs quantified. The method consists of unique polymer composite micro particles that are activated by the vehicle's wake and mark it's track on the water surface. Airborne optical sensors subsequently detect the marked track. The proposed work will extend this concept from feasibility in a laboratory environment to practical field application.