Former US Navy veteran Sonarman talks about how submarines search for invisible enemies
Submarines that dive into the sea to carry out their missions do not have windows, so they cannot visually judge their surroundings. Therefore, the submarine is equipped with a
How Submarine Sonarmen Tirelessly Hunt For Enemies They Can't Even See-The Drive
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/35603/veteran-submariner-on-how-sonar-crews-tirelessly-hunt-enemies-they-cant-even-see
There are roughly two types of sonar: active sonar and passive sonar. Active sonar uses the reflection of the detected sound to detect the position and movement of the opponent. On the other hand, passive sonar listens to the sound of the other person and analyzes it. In any case, what is important in the sonar system is a sonar array with hydrophones . A hydrophone is a microphone developed for listening to underwater sounds. It can detect pressure changes in water using a piezoelectric element and convert acoustic signals into electrical signals.
The sonar array signal conversion is carefully done by the computer so as not to remove any information from the original acoustic signal. Acoustic signals are analyzed on two common interfaces, 'wideband display' and 'narrowband display'.
The broadband display shows the sound received by the sonar array over time in a waterfall-like visual, 'where is the loudest sound around the submarine?' The sonar man who operates the sonar listens to the sound in each direction while looking at this wideband display, and determines whether the loud sound is the target.
The narrowband display shows the entire spectrum of the sound captured by the sonar array, divided by the frequencies traversed. A narrowband display is a collection of various information that shows what a sound really is. Sounds transmitted through the sea include not only sounds emitted by enemy ships, but also sounds emitted by living creatures in the sea and sounds caused by earthquakes.
You can see the sound that the sonar actually caught and the information displayed on the display in the following movie.
Acoustic analysis is an extremely important tool in naval operations. Sonarman needs to be well trained on land before boarding a submarine, as it needs to manage vast amounts of acoustic information in real time.
However, because the sea changes from moment to moment and has a great influence on sonar, unlike training, the actual undersea sound does not always sound clear. Underwater, sound travels hundreds of kilometers away with little loss of energy, and sonar also picks up unwanted sounds.
For example, in coastal areas, the sound of constantly flowing rivers and snow melts plays a role like a reflective wall. Therefore, during the voyage in the coastal area, it is like traveling in a mirror of sound, Mr. Amic said, and in the ice-rich area, the sound of ice rubbing and bumping becomes noise, In addition, the sound of the sea reflects off the ice, making it difficult to distinguish the sound.
In order to manage and analyze a huge amount of acoustic information, a person different from Sonarman stands behind Sonarman as a watchman and checks the display. This person acts as a 'second eye' looking for anything that Sonarman may have missed.
Observers also act as liaisons between the raw audio data and the “Approach Officer”. The approach officer is usually the captain, but it may be an arbitrary officer. Observers must clearly indicate the actual tactical situation outside the submarine and ensure that it is consistent with the fire control system report. Of course, computers are also used to analyze the data, but apart from that, the observers also do their own analysis.
Mr. Amic said, “Sonar's job is hunting. I know that the opponent is the one who is targeted, and I am planning an ambush with the same tools as this side. This game is constantly changing the board There are no steps or checklists to follow in a tactical game to play. Sonarman needs to use his independence, intuition, and personal abilities to capture his opponent. That's what hunting in a submarine is all about.' It was.
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