Next-Generation Air Deployable Active Receiver (ADAR)

The Navy requires a new volumetric acoustic receive array with a larger horizontal and vertical aperture for use with the Extended Echo Ranging (EER) family of active Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) search systems. This requirement is driven by the fact thatthe current AN/SSQ-101 Air Deployable Active Receiver (ADAR) sonobuoy does not provide enough array gain in some important operational areas.Our Phase I approach is to first perform an analysis of the system requirements to quantify the performance benefits of the new sensor design in to the Air ASW search mission. Next, we plan to perform a performance analysis of a number of innovative arraygeometries. Finally, we plan to conduct a packaging and feasibility analysis for the leading candidate array configurations. The newly developed search sensor is needed to extend the performance of the EER family of Air ASW search systems into ever morechallenging shallow water operational areas of interest to the Navy. The goal of this effort is to merge the technology developed in Phases I and II into an EER planned product improvement program in Phase III. In terms of non-military potential, theproposed sensor could be used for monitoring the migration paths of marine mammals. The new sensor could also be of value to the Coast Guard in both its homeland defense and drug interdiction missions.