Technologies for the Detection and Characterization of Deeply Buried Targets

Deeply-buried targets offer the most challenging location and identification issues for the military commander and intelligence officer. Their value generally dictates extraordinary measures for concealment and deception. While measures exist for the detection of suspect sites and NBC/RF emissions if good concealment practices are not employed, techniques are needed for characterizing and monitoring such suspect sites. ELF electric and magnetic sensing offers multiple means for passively obtaining the requisite information using a simple, unattended sensor system. SARA, Inc. is eminently qualified to define, evaluate and develop such systems by virtue of its extensive involvement with strategic weapon system concealment, ELF sensing and innovative data acquisition systems for background-limited scenarios. SARA has previously conducted a similar program, "Surveillance of Buried Command & Control Centers," for SPAWAR, leading to development of a flexible architecture for ELF sensing that can be adapted to the exploitable signatures and propagation paths for deeply-buried targets. This architecture incorporates our recently-commercialized CASSPER data acquisition System, evolved from a series of test data acquisition development programs for USAF and others. This integration of expertise, experience and proven metnodology gives high confidence that we can achieve a low-risk path to solution of this demanding task.