HIGH GAIN ACOUSTIC SENSOR SYSTEMS FOR AIRCRAFT NOISE SIGNATURE DETECTION

PASSIVE ACOUSTIC DETECTION SYSTEMS HAVE DEMONSTRATED POTENTIAL TO DETECT AND TRACK LOW-FLYING AIRCRAFT. SIGNAL-PROCESSING TECHNIQUES HAVE PROGRESSED TO THE POINT WHERE DETECTION AND CLASSIFICATION CAPABILITIES ARE QUITE EXTENSIVE FOR CERTAIN AIRCRAFT TARGETS. OTHER TARGETS HAVE PROVEN TO BE MORE DIFFICULT TO DETECT AND CLASSIFY, DUE IN PART TO LOWER ACOUSTIC LEVELS ON BROADBAND NOISE CHARACTERISTICS. IN ALL CASES, IMPROVED SENSOR PERFORMANCE IS NEEDED. A NOVEL HIGH-GAIN SENSOR CONCEPT IS PROPOSED. THE SENSOR WILL ALLOW GAIN TO BE DETERMINED BY ADJUSTING ITS LENGTH, WHICH IN PRINCIPLE, CAN BE UNLIMITED. THE CONCEPT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE LOW COST AND EASY TO DEPLOY.