N131-050 TITLE: LFA and CFLA Acoustic Sensors

TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Sensors

ACQUISITION PROGRAM: PEO-IWS-5A Advanced Systems and Technology Office

RESTRICTION ON PERFORMANCE BY FOREIGN CITIZENS (i.e., those holding non-U.S. Passports): This topic is "ITAR Restricted". The information and materials provided pursuant to or resulting from this topic are restricted under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), 22 CFR Parts 120 - 130, which control the export of defense-related material and services, including the export of sensitive technical data. Foreign Citizens may perform work under an award resulting from this topic only if they hold the "Permanent Resident Card", or are designated as "Protected Individuals" as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3). If a proposal for this topic contains participation by a foreign citizen who is not in one of the above two categories, the proposal will be rejected.

OBJECTIVE: The objective is to develop detection capabilities for Low-Frequency Active (LFA) and Compact Low-Frequency Active (CLFA) acoustic sensors to address littoral environment clutter and false alarms.

DESCRIPTION: The LFA and CLFA acoustic sensor arrays are used for both active and passive Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) [Ref 1]. The systems were originally conceived for, and designed for use in a deep-water, low-clutter environment. Active clutter has increased as these systems have moved from deeper water to littoral environments. As more sonar systems turn to active, share the same battle space, and expand into a wider range of operating environments, performance impacts are requiring changes in the current LFA/CLFA sonar signal processor. Sources of active clutter currently degrading LFA and CLFA performance in the littoral are many, including other active emitters, strong bathymetric returns, oil exploration sources, volume and boundary interaction scattering, and marine life. Interfering noise signals impact both passive and active processing, including passive broadband and narrowband detection; active continuous wave (CW), coded pulse (CP), and multiple-pulse detection, classification, and tracking; and clutters the operator displays. This clutter degrades the operator�s ability to detect contacts of interest, and degrades automated processes that detect, classify, and track these contacts. Technology is needed to improve the performance and capability of operators.

Innovative signal processing and information processing improvements for the LFA and CLFA sensors are sought that will provide reduced active clutter and false alarms, while improving detection, classification, tracking, and displays. Signal processing improvements to mitigate clutter in the current SURTASS LFA CLFA processing string might include signal-conditioning, filtering, beamforming, waveforms, matched-filters, normalizers, feature-extractors, classifiers, trackers, and operator tools and displays. Examples of recent research that could further improve the current processing string are cited in the reference section, e.g., adaptive beamforming [Ref. 2], multi-target tracking [Ref. 3], adaptive matched filtering [Ref. 4] and algorithms related to active sonar performance improvement [Ref. 5].

The Phase I effort will not require access to classified information. If need be, data of the same level of complexity as secured data will be provided to support Phase I work. The Phase II effort will likely require secure access, and the contractor will need to be prepared for personnel and facility certification for secure access.

PHASE I: The company will develop signal and information processing concepts for improved performance in active clutter reduction that reduces false alarms and improves performance in detection, classification, tracking, and displays. The company will demonstrate the feasibility of the concepts in meeting Navy needs described above and show the feasibility of developing the concepts into a useful product for the Navy. Analytical modeling and simulation may be used to establish feasibility. Based on the results of the analysis the company will determine which concept best meets Navy needs and will provide a Phase II development plan with performance goals and key technical milestones and that will address technical risk reduction.

PHASE II: Based on the results of Phase I and the Phase II development plan, the small business will develop prototype signal and information processes for evaluation as needed. The prototype will be evaluated to determine its capability in meeting the performance goals defined in the Phase II development plan and the Navy requirements for LFA/CLFA active clutter reduction using selected government furnished information (GFI) data sets. Sensor performance will be demonstrated through comparison of results from the prototype methods to current system methods over the required range of parameters. Evaluation results will be used to refine the prototype into an initial design that will meet Navy requirements. The company will prepare a Phase III development plan to transition the technology to Navy use. It is probable that the Phase II work will be classified.

PHASE III: If Phase II is successful, the company will be expected to provide support to the Navy in transitioning the technology for Navy use in the Integrated Common Processor (ICP) program. The company will develop real-time computer code that implements the active clutter reduction technology, and associated computer integration code, for evaluation to determine its effectiveness in an operationally relevant environment. The company will assist in integrating and testing software in a real-time ICP environment, or other advanced processor build program specified by the US Navy. The company will support the Navy in test and validation to certify and qualify the system for Navy use.

PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL/DUAL-USE APPLICATIONS: Active sonar systems are currently in commercial use for depth sounding and commercial salvage, and are widely used for fish finding in the private sector. These systems also find use in fisheries management and university research applications. Signal and information processing that improve active sonar detection, and localization, particularly in cluttered environments, will provide a competitive edge to the developers of these systems. For example: The private Yacht industry is now using the Quinetiq Cerbebus detection system for unauthorized divers to provide greater security to yacht owners [Ref. 6]. All active systems could benefit from technologies that improve active sonar performance.

REFERENCES:
1. SURTASS LFA Systems Description: http://www.surtass-lfa-eis.com/Description/index.htm

2. Li, Jian, Stoica, Petre, "Robust Adaptive Beamforming," ISBN: 978-0-471-67850-2, Wiley, NY, October 2005

3. Bell, K.L., "MAP-PF position tracking with a network of sensor arrays," Acoustics, Speech, and Signal Processing, 18-23 March, 2005, Vol. 4, pp. 849-852

4. De Maio, Antonio, "A new derivation of the adaptive matched filter," SPLIEEE, Dipt. di Ingegneria Elettronica e delle Telecomunicazioni, Univ. degli Studi di Napoli "Federico II", Italy Volume: 11, Issue: 10, pp.: 792 - 793

5. Baldacci, A., Haralabus, G., "Signal processing for an active sonar system suitable for advanced sensor technology applications and environmental adaptation schemes," EUSIPCO 2006, European Signal Processing Conference, Florence, Italy, 4-8 September 2006: http://www.nurc.nato.int/publications/pubs/2006/NURC-PR-2006-019.pdf

6. Hanlon, Mike, "First non-military diver detection system sold," Sept. 2006, Gizmag at: http://www.gizmag.com/go/6226/

KEYWORDS: Low Frequency Active Sonar; Active Clutter Reduction; Acoustic Sensor Signal Processing; Anti-Submarine Warfare; Sources of Active Clutter; Compact Low-Frequency Active Sonar

** TOPIC AUTHOR (TPOC) **

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