SONOBUOYS
type: Concept
in scheme: instruments
definition: The United States Navy maintains a superior global Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) capability with the ability to detect, localize, identify, and track potential hostile submarines. This is provided by the capabilities of sonobuoys. Sonobuoys are used to determine environmental conditions for determination of best search tactics, to communicate with friendly submarines, and to conduct search, localization, tracking, and, as required, attack of designated hostile platforms. Sonobuoys provide both a deployable acoustical signal source and reception of underwater signals of interest. These received signals are transmitted to any monitoring unit(s) that then processes the signal for analysis, classification of any target, and recording on magnetic tape media for replay and post event analysis. Both the initial detection of submarines and the localization of detected targets is usually done with passive sonobuoys, if possible, so as to deny for as long as possible the submarine becoming aware that an adversary aircraft is present. By use of established tactics, the sonobuoys allow for short and long range detection of surface ships and submarines, thereby, allowing for prosecution of identified hostile targets. Other specialized sonobuoys can detect electric fields, magnetic anomalies or the light emitted by microscopic organisms disturbed by the passage of a submarine [bioluminescence]. Active sonobuoys are used to localize targets quickly and accurately in extreme environmental conditions, against a very quiet submarine, or in an attack mode. The released acoustic energy enables an accurate location from the sonobuoy in both range and bearing to the submarine. When two or more ?fixes? are obtained the speed and the course of the target can be established. Active buoys use a transducer to introduce acoustic energy into the water and to manipulate the return echoes that are amplified and for VHF radio transmission. These buoys are designed for deeper depths than passive buo…

Acoustic Sounders
type: Concept