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Category: submarines

Sensing the Outside Environment, Beyond Acoustically

Posted on by Bob
ATI is pleased to offer a new course “Sonobuoy Technology for Air Anti-Submarine Warfare and Beyond.”  This article introduces that course.  Additionally, Mr. Seibert Murphy will be conducting a free-session on this topic.  Details on that free session, and details on the full course can be found below. Air Anti-Submarine Warfare (Air ASW) has played […]

ATI is pleased to offer a new course “Sonobuoy Technology for Air Anti-Submarine Warfare and Beyond.”  This article introduces that course.  Additionally, Mr. Seibert Murphy will be conducting a free-session on this topic.  Details on that free session, and details on the full course can be found below.

Air Anti-Submarine Warfare (Air ASW) has played a pivotal role in naval operations for decades. It is a complex and ever-evolving field that combines cutting-edge technology with tactical prowess. In this course, we will learn about Air ASW by taking a journey through the history of sonobuoy technology, from its humble beginnings to its current state, and explore the many exciting prospects for its future.

What do you think of when you hear the word sonobuoy?  Maybe you think “sonar-buoy” and you would not be too far from the truth because sonobuoy is a mashup of the two words. Thinking about sonobuoys used in Air ASW, we have to consider that not only do they play a vital role but they must be designed like other munitions to be handled, transported, stored, then launched from high altitude, survive impacting the ocean, and operate under demanding climate, extreme weather, and sea state conditions.  All while being precise enough to detect submarines (and other undersea vehicles) that are trying to do their very best to remain undetectable. There is a lot going on inside the humble 4.875″ diameter, 36″ long sonobuoy.

Air ASW traces its roots back to World War I when aircraft were first used to search for submarines. Early attempts were rudimentary, with pilots relying on visual observations and basic weapons. However, these pioneering efforts set the stage for the development of more sophisticated ASW tactics and equipment.

The outbreak of World War II saw a rapid evolution in ASW. By 1942 allied forces had developed sonobuoy technology and sonar-equipped aircraft to detect submarines in undersea combat. Depth charges and torpedoes were also refined for aerial use. These advancements proved vital in the Battle of the Atlantic, where convoys depended on ASW to fend off German U-boats.

The Cold War brought further innovations in ASW technology. Aircraft like the P-3 Orion equipped with sonobuoys, advanced sonar signal processing systems, and magnetic anomaly detectors, greatly enhancing their submarine-hunting capabilities. Air ASW operations also played a significant role in the tense standoff between NATO and the Warsaw Pact.

Today, Air ASW remains a critical component of naval strategy. Modern aircraft like the P-8 Poseidon and helicopters such as the MH-60R Seahawk have taken ASW to new heights. These platforms employ cutting-edge sensors, including synthetic aperture radar and acoustic arrays, to detect and track submarines. Additionally, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are increasingly being used for ASW missions, providing enhanced flexibility and endurance.

The future of sonobuoy technologies holds exciting possibilities. Advancements in artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) will likely improve the success rate of submarine detection as well as environmental monitoring and management. Next generation sonobuoys, autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) and underwater drones will play a more prominent role in hunting submarines and exploring the challenging underwater environments. High performance embedded computing, along with cooperative and multi-sensor data fusion methods will revolutionize sonobuoy usage by enabling faster and more accurate data processing.

Sonobuoys and associated technologies have been around in popular media since the seventies.  Some of the first examples are as props in shows like “Star Trek” and “Battle Star Galactica.”  You may have seen the eight-sided tubes stacked as props in the shuttle bay or in engineering spaces.  They were often painted silver or gold to give a futuristic look. Sonobuoys played supporting roles in “The Hunt for Red October”, “Crimson Tide”, “JAG” and “Hawaii-Five-O” to name a few.  Unfortunately, sonobuoys are also used for sea air rescue or SAR missions.  In those cases, specialized sonobuoys are used to listen for sounds of flight data recorder’s acoustic beacon, noise anomalies, or even voice communications. Recent examples of search and recovery using sonar and sonobuoy technologies include Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 (MH370) in 2014, and the OceanGate Titan submersible in June 2023.

Over the past 100 years, or so, Air ASW and sonobuoy technology has come a long way from its humble beginnings, evolving into a sophisticated and essential aspect of modern naval operations and ocean research. As technology continues to advance, the future of sonobuoys for Air ASW and beyond promises even greater capabilities. We’ll talk about an ever-changing world, where the keeping a watchful eye over the depths of our world’s oceans ensures a healthy food supply, environmental protection, freedom of navigation, safety and security of the seas, for years to come.

A one-hour, free webinar describing the ATI course “Sonobuoy Technology for Air Anti-Submarine Warfare and Beyond” will be conducted by the instructor on November 6.  You can find more information on that free-session and register to attend by going here.  The full 2-day course will be offered starting December 5.  You can read more about the full course, and register to attend, by going here.  Please consider one or both of these exciting possibilities.

Tracking Contacts with Sonar, TMA

Posted on by Bob
Sonar and Target Motion Analysis Fundamentals is a course being offered by ATI in September.  If you are a submarine sonarman, or if you are an engineer developing tools for use by submarine sonarmen, then this is the course for you!  You surely already understand the meaning and importance of Target Motion Analysis, and this […]

Sonar and Target Motion Analysis Fundamentals is a course being offered by ATI in September. 

If you are a submarine sonarman, or if you are an engineer developing tools for use by submarine sonarmen, then this is the course for you!  You surely already understand the meaning and importance of Target Motion Analysis, and this class will offer insights that you may not have been exposed to in your Navy or workplace training.

Surface Ships use Radar in much the same way that Submarines use Sonar.  One major difference between Surface Ships and Submarines is that stealth is critical to the submarine, and less important to the surface ship.  So, submarines typically do not want to emit any energy from their ship, as that would be detectable by the adversary.  As a result, while Surface Ship Radar actively emits energy, submarine sonar does not.  Submarine Sonars act passively; it only listens to naturally occurring noise, it does not transmit any energy.

When a Surface Ship Radar emits a pulse and listens for a return, the radarman is able to pinpoint the precise location of the contact.  Over time, he can examine the track of his contact, and use this information for tactical purposes.  The process is fairly simple compared to what happens on a submarine.

When a submarine sonarman hears a contact using his passive sonar, he knows nothing more than the direction it is coming from.  Over time, he can develop a time history of the direction to the contact, but that is not the same as a Target Track.  The time history of target direction is of little use for tactical planners; they need to know the track of the contact, which includes the contacts range and direction of travel.  In order to convert the time history of target direction into a usable contact track, the sonarman, or the sonarman’s computer programs, must execute “Target Motion Analysis”.

If you find this explanation interesting, or if it sounds like something that you may be able to apply to your work, please consider joining us for this class.  You can learn more about the class, and register for it here.

A complete listing of all of the courses that ATI can offer upon request can be found here.

Sonar From The Air

Posted on by Bob
I spent most of my career in the sonar business.  It was always assumed that sonar can only work when both the transmitter and the receiver were in the same body of water; air to water sonar was not possible because sonar can not break the air-water interface.   Sure, there were planes that could “dip” […]

I spent most of my career in the sonar business.  It was always assumed that sonar can only work when both the transmitter and the receiver were in the same body of water; air to water sonar was not possible because sonar can not break the air-water interface.   Sure, there were planes that could “dip” a device into the water that would transmit and receive sonar signals, but that is still considered a water-water sonar.  Thanks to the innovative minds of Stanford University, there may now be a way to transmit and receive sonar from an airborne platform.  Who would have thought?

Stanford engineers explain that the Photoacoustic Airborne Sonar System, or PASS, fires a laser into the surface of the water, its intensity pulsed to the desired acoustic frequency, and as this laser energy is absorbed, it creates ultrasonic waves in the water that can act as effective sonar waves, bouncing off underwater objects before returning up to the surface.  “If we can use light in the air, where light travels well, and sound in the water, where sound travels well, we can get the best of both worlds”

This can be a game changer for Anti Submarine Warfare.  Aircraft would be able to search for submarines without dropping sensors into the water.  This would be advantageous because aircraft could search an area more quickly, and the splashing sound of the sensors would not give away the presence of the aircraft.

If sonar interests you, or if you work with sonar, consider taking the upcoming ATI course “Sonar Principles and ASW Analysis.”  This three-day course provides an excellent introduction to underwater sound and highlights how sonar principles are employed in ASW analyses. The course provides a solid understanding of the sonar equation and discusses in-depth propagation loss, target strength, reverberation, arrays, array gain, and detection of signals. 

To learn more about this course, and to register, you can go here.

And, to learn more about other courses offered by ATI, please go to www.aticourses.com

Target Motion Analysis, What’s That, You Ask?

Posted on by Bob
Target Motion Analysis Sonar and Target Motion Analysis Fundamentals is a course being offered by ATI starting on December 19.  If you are a submarine sonarman, or if you are an engineer developing tools for use by submarine sonarmen, then this is the course for you!  You surely already understand the meaning and importance of […]

Target Motion Analysis

Sonar and Target Motion Analysis Fundamentals is a course being offered by ATI starting on December 19. 

If you are a submarine sonarman, or if you are an engineer developing tools for use by submarine sonarmen, then this is the course for you!  You surely already understand the meaning and importance of Target Motion Analysis, and this class will offer insights that you may not have been exposed to in your Navy or workplace training.

Surface Ships use Radar in much the same way that Submarines use Sonar.  One major difference between Surface Ships and Submarines is that stealth is critical to the submarine, and less important to the surface ship.  So, submarines typically do not want to emit any energy from their ship, as that would be detectable by the adversary.  As a result, while Surface Ship Radar actively emits energy, submarine sonar does not.  Submarine Sonars act passively; it only listens to naturally occurring noise, it does not transmit any energy.

When a Surface Ship Radar emits a pulse and listens for a return, the radarman is able to pinpoint the precise location of the contact.  Over time, he can examine the track of his contact, and use this information for tactical purposes.  The process is fairly simple compared to what happens on a submarine.

When a submarine sonarman hears a contact using his passive sonar, he knows nothing more than the direction it is coming from.  Over time, he can develop a time history of the direction to the contact, but that is not the same as a Target Track.  The time history of target direction is of little use for tactical planners; they need to know the track of the contact, which includes the contacts range and direction of travel.  In order to convert the time history of target direction into a usable contact track, the sonarman, or the sonarman’s computer programs, must execute “Target Motion Analysis”.

If you find this explanation interesting, or if it sounds like something that you may be able to apply to your work, please consider joining us for this class.  You can learn more about the class, and register for it here.

A complete listing of all of the courses that ATI can offer upon request can be found here.

What The Heck Is TMA?

Posted on by Bob
Sonar and Target Motion Analysis Fundamentals is a course being offered by ATI starting on October 19.  Typically, the purpose of this blog is to share the real-world relevance of the material being taught in the class, and typically, there is a lot of real-world relevance to talk about.  Unfortunately, in this case, there is […]

Sonar and Target Motion Analysis Fundamentals is a course being offered by ATI starting on October 19. 

Typically, the purpose of this blog is to share the real-world relevance of the material being taught in the class, and typically, there is a lot of real-world relevance to talk about.  Unfortunately, in this case, there is not much real-world relevance to discuss. 

So, if you are a submarine sonarman, or if you are an engineer developing tools for use by submarine sonarmen, then this is the course for you!  You surely already understand the meaning and importance of Target Motion Analysis, and this class will offer insights that you may not have been exposed to in your Navy or workplace training.

For the rest of the world, since I can’t offer any real-world relevance, I will at least explain what Target Motion Analysis is, and why it is so critical to sonarmen.

Surface Ships use Radar in much the same way that Submarines use Sonar.  One major difference between Surface Ships and Submarines is that stealth is critical to the submarine, and less important to the surface ship.  So, submarines typically do not want to emit any energy from their ship, as that would be detectable by the adversary.  As a result, while Surface Ship Radar actively emits energy, submarine sonar does not.  Submarine Sonars act passively; it only listens to naturally occurring noise, it does not transmit any energy.

When a Surface Ship Radar emits a pulse and listens for a return, the radarman is able to pinpoint the precise location of the contact.  Over time, he can examine the track of his contact, and use this information for tactical purposes.  The process is fairly simple compared to what happens on a submarine.

When a submarine sonarman hears a contact using his passive sonar, he knows nothing more than the direction it is coming from.  Over time, he can develop a time history of the direction to the contact, but that is not the same as a Target Track.  The time history of target direction is of little use for tactical planners; they need to know the track of the contact, which includes the contacts range and direction of travel.  In order to convert the time history of target direction into a usable contact track, the sonarman, or the sonarman’s computer programs, must execute “Target Motion Analysis”.

If you find this explanation interesting, or if it sounds like something that you may be able to apply to your work, please consider joining us for this class.  You can learn more about the class, and register for it here.

A complete listing of our upcoming classes can be found here.

Lastly, a complete listing of all of the courses that ATI can offer upon request can be found here.

Submarine Movie Chat

Posted on by Bob
Although I work for Applied Technology Institute now, I spent 40 years working in a career that had me riding nuclear submarines frequently, often for weeks at a time, doing tests and working closely with sailors in the US Navy.  Suffice it to say, I know a little about Submarines and Submariners.  Admittedly, I do […]

Although I work for Applied Technology Institute now, I spent 40 years working in a career that had me riding nuclear submarines frequently, often for weeks at a time, doing tests and working closely with sailors in the US Navy.  Suffice it to say, I know a little about Submarines and Submariners.  Admittedly, I do not know one one-hundredth of what is known by our many brave Submarine Sailors, past and present, but I but probably know more than most civilians.

So, what is the most realistic, and best Submarine movie ever made?  I am asked this question often, and although I have a quick and definitive response whenever I am asked this question, I decided to do a little research before writing this blog post.  I will reveal my top choice and my bottom choice, later.

When I googled the topic, I had hundreds of hits, so I decided I needed a systematic way to choose which sites I would visit.  I picked three sites.  First, I choose the Number 1 google hit, as google would want me to do.  Second, I chose the US Naval Institute, as I belong to this fine organization, and I trust what they say.  Lastly, I chose IMDB, the greatest movie site on the internet, which everyone should check out if they don’t already know about it. 

Here is what I found.

The two movies that appear on most top ten lists are Das Boat and Hunt for Red October.  These movies are not always Number one and two, but they are almost always on the list.

Many of the movies of the movies on top ten lists are foreign films.  Many are also older films from the WW2 era starring famous actors who are no longer with us.  There are many films in this category ( foreign and older ) which I have never seen before. In fact, based on the recommendation by a Navy Captain on the USNI site, before writing this blog, I decided to watch the 2019 UK-French film called “The Wolf’s Call”; more on that to follow. 

 Most of the movies on these lists make sense.  Even if I have never seen the movie before, the title and the picture on the box look like they would be submarine movie.  The one notable exception was a top- choice chosen by an officer in the US Navy on the US Naval Institute Site.  He chose “Office Space” as his top choice.  He justified his choice by saying “TPS reports, multiple bosses, a defective printer, coming in on Saturday, the oversight team of The Bobs that are There to Help, and the engineers are not allowed to talk to the normal people.”    A rather bizarre choice, but humorous and understandable to anyone who has served on a sub.

Some of the movies that people put on their top pick list were terrible movies.  My bottom choice actually appears on some of the lists.

So, after reviewing these sites, and after watching a new movie which piqued my interest, I will reveal my top choice and my bottom choice.  Top choice was, and remains, Das Boat.  (Honorable Mention goes to Hunt for Red October.)  Bottom Choice was, and remains, Crimson Tide.  My latest movie, The Wolf’s Call, did not impress me, in fact, it would be fairly low on my list.  I look forward to watching a few more of the submarine movies that I have not seen.  Who knows, I may find one that beats Das Boat.  Please feel free to leave recommendations in the comments section.

From IMDB, the tag line for 1981 film Das Boat is “The claustrophobic world of a WWII German U-Boat; boredom, filth, and sheer terror.”  I have seen this film many times, and I still enjoy watching it each time I see it.  This film is ranked as IMDBs second best Submarine Movie, and as IMDB’s 77th best overall movie.

 ATI has a submarine related course coming up in late September called SONAR Signal Processing.  You can learn more about this course, and register, here.

Another fun course offered by ATI is Submarines and Submariners.  Although this course is not being offered in the near future, you can read about it here.  If this course interests you, and you would like us to run it, or bring it your location for your staff, please let us know, and we can work with you.

Lastly, as always, a full listing of ATI’s courses can be found here.