TECHNIQUE FOR ESTIMATING AZIMUTH NOISE VARIATION EFFECTS

THIS PROPOSAL DESCRIBES A METHODOLOGY FOR UTILIZING TOWED ARRAY BEAM NOISE DATA AND NEAR REAL-TIME AND/OR HISTORICAL AMBIENT NOISE DATA TO CALCULATE AND EXPLOIT NOISE FIELD DIRECTIONALITY TO ACCOUNT FOR THE IMPACT OF DYNAMIC NOISE VARIATIONS ON ASW SEARCH PLANNING AND SENSOR EMPLOYMENT. THE PROPOSED APPROACH TO PROVING THE EFFICACY OF THE METHODOLOGY WILL UTILIZE AN EXISTING AND EXTENSIVE DATA SET ACQUIRED FROM A SURTASS ARRAY DURING THE AEAS PROGRAM EXERCISE OUTPOST SUNRISE. ANALYSES OF NOISE FIELD DIRECTIONALITY USING THAT DATA SET HAVE ALREADY CONCLUSIVELY SHOWN THAT SIGNAL TO NOISE GAINS IN EXCESS OF 15 DB ARE AVAILABLE FOR TACTICAL EXPLOITATION. WITH AN ADDITIONAL ANALYTICAL EFFORT BY SI IT WILL BE POSSIBLE TO SHOW THE FEASIBILITY OF EXPLOITING THE NOISE FIELD STRUCTURE TO ACCOUNT FOR REAL-TIME CHANGES IN AZIMUTHAL NOISE IN ASW ACOUSTIC SENSOR EMPLOYMENT.