Develop New Towed Array Technology

Chesapeake Sciences Corporation, under contract to the Navy (NUWC) for development of a Towed Active Receive System (TARS) telemetry, proposes to study the application of the TARS telemetry to support the stated goals including commonalty with both surface ship and submarine platforms, affordability, and maximum application of previously developed commercial and Navy technology to towed array system. The TARS program is developing a low cost telemetry using COTS components and pressure tolerant potted assemblies. It is totally compliant with telecommitactions industry standards for data transmission using SONET and ATM. Shipboard electronics cost and complexity have been dramatically reduced by elimination of the traditional towed array receiver and its replacement with a COTS SONET/AIIM Switch that can also serve as the nerve center for signal processing data flaw. The TARS telemetry and associated developments allows the Navy to re-apply all of the acoustic, mechanical, and handling system experience and hardware gained over the years by repackaging the TARS telemetry to fit within the existing electronics space for sub- marine applications. Smaller diameter or longer surface ship arrays that reuse existing handling system would also result During Phase 1, sizing studies will be done that determine the minimum diameter that can be accommodated using COTS components for the Node, HUB, and Fiber Optics. Applicability of the TARS approach to long, small diameter arrays will be confirmed. Studies will be conducted to show both the diameter and length reductions that can be accomplished using more advanced packaging techniques such as MTM (multi-chip modules). A cost-benefits tradeoff will be prepared as the basis for continuation during Phase..-II.