Advanced Concepts in Hull Array Beamforming

Applications

• Military and Commercial Significance:
• NAVSEA PEO-IWS5 -AN/SQQ-89: Surface Ship USW Combat System
• Naval Surface Weapons Center/ Carderock
• Noise Source Localization Analysis
• Workstation
• Towed array sonar
• Sonobuoy active receivers, multi-static systems
• AHA’s new ABF technology and commercial off the shelf implementation improves anti-submarine warfare (ASW) sonar performance and lowers operating cost. Maintenance expenditures are reduced due to the use of lower-cost symmetric-multiprocessor server hardware and the need for fewer replaceable components. The algorithm significantly increases the ship’s sonar performance while the active sonar is in use and when operating in noisy acoustic environments. The technology raises hull array sonar gain, yields more accurate sonar target bearings, and increases target detection range and target holding time. It achieves better performance in automated active classification and tracking systems, and more robust performance in littoral water regions. The beamformer computing environment reduces system procurement and life-cycle maintenance cost of commercial Intel symmetric multi-processor servers, and substantially reduces the procurement cost of systems, in comparison to those procured in earlier years. Benefits of the ABF technology are applicable for towed array sonars, sonobuoy active receivers, and multi-static systems.