Active Sonar Interference Avoidance Planning
Navy SBIR FY2014.1


Sol No.: Navy SBIR FY2014.1
Topic No.: N141-039
Topic Title: Active Sonar Interference Avoidance Planning
Proposal No.: N141-039-0527
Firm: Adaptive Methods, Inc
5860 Trinity Parkway
Suite 200
Centreville, Virginia 20120
Contact: Pete Nulty
Phone: (727) 532-0631
Web Site: www.adaptivemethods.com
Abstract: Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) acoustic mission planning is a very complex problem that needs to take into account many factors to achieve overall mission objectives. Blue Force capabilities and vulnerabilities, Red Force capabilities and vulnerabilities, ASW mission posture and priority, search time allocation, area size, and environmental factors all play a significant role in determining the best course of action (COA) to successfully achieve mission objectives. Each one of these factors can affect overall sensor performance and/or probability of detection and require experienced planners to take each factor into account while trying to develop optimal COAs, search routes, and sensor lineups. The Navy has made significant investments in developing tools addressing the challenges referenced above, aiding the planners in creating effective ASW Mission Plans. However, one area that could benefit from additional enhancement is in assisting the users in the development of an improved Active Sensor Interference Avoidance Plan (ASIAP) and/or search methodology that will reduce the likelihood of mutual interference (MI). The focus of this proposal is to outline an approach for solving this problem through the use of automation tools and visual aids to better integrate ASIAP factors in the overall mission planning process.
Benefits: The primary anticipated benefit of the proposed solution is to eliminate the majority of the issues associated with mutual interference by reducing the overall likelihood that MI will be experienced by the participating platforms. Based on the significant reduction in MI, several ancillary, yet valuable benefits will be achievable including faster detection times, longer overall holding times and decreased likelihood of counter detection resulting in improved overall ASW effectiveness. Additionally, accounting for MI may also result in determining fewer assets are required to search a given search area, ultimately conserving the Navy's limited resources. One final benefit that will be realized as a result of this solution to MI problem is that it will result in the putting the minimum amount of energy into the water column which will mitigate marine mammal concerns. The technologies developed and matured under this SBIR effort could potentially be adopted and applied to optimizing the deployment of aircraft in multi-aircraft air space radar search operations both the Navy and Air Force perform. Non-military applications for these technologies apply to telecommunications industry to potentially aid in optimizing placement of cell towers and other radio-frequency relay stations/antennas.

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