IN-DEPTH ENGINEERING CORPORATION — Department of Defense SBIR Phase I: N171-065

Description

Authorizations provided to the Navy for operation of the SURTASS LFA/CLFA active source require specific measures to be taken to avoid harming marine mammals. This generally includes searching the water column within 2 km of the SURTASS ship for the presence of marine mammals before going active. The current workhorse for this is the High Frequency Marine Mammal Monitoring (HF/M3) sonar. However, as the HF/M3 ages a replacement is necessary. A capable and cost-effective replacement can be provided by a COTS hardware solution that uses high-frequency broadband signal processing. In-Depth Engineering Corporation proposes the Wideband High-frequency Aquatic Life Echolocation System (WHALES)an innovative, low-cost, broadband, passive and active acoustic detection and classification system providing full spatial coverage over a wide frequency range. WHALES will be able to detect all source modulation types, including acoustic intercept sources, and will include an automated acoustic classification capability based on a model of the mammalian primary auditory cortex. The set of passive receive arrays will be paired with an active omnidirectional broadband projector operating around 25 kHz, well above the frequency band of the SURTASS system. The active source will enable detection and localization of non-vocalizing marine mammals, navigational hazards, divers, and UUVs.