LPI ACOUSTIC COMMUNICATIONS FOR USE WITH SUBMARINES, SWIMMERS AND OTHER UNDERWATER DATA AND VOICE TELEMETRY APPLICATIONS

Datasonics is, at the present time, working with NSWC on the development of an underwater acoustic communications system designed to extend LINK-11 tactical Navy battle group communications to include submarines and/or other Navy underwater assets. Our underwater acoustic telemetry is based on a QPSK digital modulation technique and use of existing Probe Alert or UQC transducers. Ourt COTR at NSWC is listed in the related work section of this proposal. With this background we prepare to extend the acoustic communication capability to include Lprobability of Intercept (LPI). As part of our Phase I program we intend to investigate various spread spectrum techniques for achieving LPI, and to perform simulations of promising algorithms using MATLAB. Based on simulation results we propose to test the more promising algorithms using real data and an offline processing system. We proposed to work closely with Dr. Josko Catipovic at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, who is a recognized authoirty in the area of digital acoustic telemetry systems.