OCEANIT LABORATORIES INC — Department of Defense SBIR Phase I: N211-018

Description

SONAR is the method most prevalent today for detection of submarines.  For fixed-wing aircraft, expendable sensors – sonobuoys are dropped into the water. These enable detection of the submarine’s acoustic signals, either by passive listening for self-generated noise or reflections to an active acoustic ping originating from the buoy or other source nearby.  Detection of modern-day submarines is becoming increasingly difficult however due to advances in subsurface technologies. Developing non-acoustic, remotely sensed methods that can monitor large areas of the ocean from aircraft equipped with water surface imaging sensors would provide means of overcoming the deficiencies in current methods.  Further, it would be of significant advantage if the sensor was passive, neither alerting a submarine to its presence nor requiring a contact to the airframe that could possibly be detected. The innovative approach proposed includes development of a passive optical sensor system to image the ocean to detect surface anomalies produced by submerged submarines.  The approach is completely passive allowing it to be utilized on radio frequency emission restricted missions. The methodology will supplement and expand capabilities for submerged submarine detection.   The final platform for the sensor is the P-8 Poseidon. SONAR is the method most prevalent today for detection of submarines.  For fixed-wing aircraft, expendable sensors – sonobuoys are dropped into the water. These enable detection of the submarine’s acoustic signals, either by passive listening for self-generated noise or reflections to an active acoustic ping originating from the buoy or other source nearby.  Detection of modern-day submarines is becoming increasingly difficult however due to advances in subsurface technologies. Developing non-acoustic, remotely sensed methods that can monitor large areas of the ocean from aircraft equipped with water surface imaging sensors would provide means of overcoming the deficiencies in current methods.  Further, it would be of significant advantage if the sensor was passive, neither alerting a submarine to its presence nor requiring a contact to the airframe that could possibly be detected. The innovative approach proposed includes development of a passive optical sensor system to image the ocean to detect surface anomalies produced by submerged submarines.  The approach is completely passive allowing it to be utilized on radio frequency emission restricted missions. The methodology will supplement and expand capabilities for submerged submarine detection.   The final platform for the sensor is the P-8 Poseidon.