HF Sonar Performance in Whitecaps and Wakes

Authors

  • Mark Trevorrow Defence R&D Canada Atlantic, Dartmouth, NS
  • Svein Vagle Instittue of Ocean Sciences, Sidney, BC

Abstract

A HF sonar performance sea-trial was conducted on the CCGS VECTOR April 8 to 14, 2015 in BC south coast waters. This sea-trial was focused on assessing the limitations to horizontally-oriented HF sonar performance posed by naturally-occurring (e.g. due to white-capping) and ship-wake bubbles. A 90kHz multibeam sonar was operated from the ship against both drifting and towed targets. Forward-looking sonar detection tests were conducted in Sea States from 0 to 5. In low sea-states the drifting targets were routinely observed at ranges up to 550m, but the detection range was significantly reduced under higher sea-states. The aft-looking sonar tests, designed to test target detectability in the ship wake, utilized a towed target at distances from 50m to 500m behind the ship at speeds from 5 to 7knots. Generally the towed target was visible at all ranges except in the close vicinity (<40m) of the stern.

Additional Files

Published

2015-08-19

How to Cite

1.
Trevorrow M, Vagle S. HF Sonar Performance in Whitecaps and Wakes. Canadian Acoustics [Internet]. 2015 Aug. 19 [cited 2024 Mar. 29];43(3). Available from: https://jcaa.caa-aca.ca/index.php/jcaa/article/view/2781

Issue

Section

Proceedings of the Acoustics Week in Canada