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Handheld Sonar Intercept Receiver for Divers
Navy SBIR 2009.2 - Topic N092-157 ONR - Mrs. Tracy Frost - tracy.frost1@navy.mil Opens: May 18, 2009 - Closes: June 17, 2009 N092-157 TITLE: Handheld Sonar Intercept Receiver for Divers TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Sensors, Electronics, Battlespace ACQUISITION PROGRAM: N851 or PMS 403 Program of Record. ACAT IV The technology within this topic is restricted under the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR), which controls the export and import of defense-related material and services. Offerors must disclose any proposed use of foreign nationals, their country of origin, and what tasks each would accomplish in the statement of work in accordance with section 3.5.b.(7) of the solicitation. OBJECTIVE: Develop a handheld sonar intercept receiver for divers. The inspiration being the WLR9 Acoustic Intercept Receiver utilized by submarines. DESCRIPTION: Navy divers will face an increasing risk of encountering diver detection sonar systems in the future. Several commercial diver detection systems are on the market and sales have been made to non-military customers. A portable device that could alert a diver to the presence of ultrasonic acoustic transmissions in the vicinity and possibly the bearing to their source would prove be very beneficial in a variety of operational scenarios. Audible warnings and/or spectral information provided by the system would allow for adjustments in routes to mitigate the risk. UUV systems will also face an increasing threat of detection by high frequency active sonar systems, so the intercept receiver should be small enough to be hand held by a diver, mounted on an SDV, or integrated into the control system of a UUV. ESM Suites and the WLR9 Acoustic Intercept Receiver utilized by submarines provide inspiration. An additional task for UUVs in more open waters is trawler avoidance which could be facilitated by the identification and localization of fish finding sonars and fathometers. PHASE I: Design and demonstrate through simulation or limited testing the potential to develop a sonar intercept receiver for divers. This phase may or may not include actual hardware testing. PHASE II: Demonstrate underwater acoustic intercept capability against an actual diver detection sonar or a realistic surrogate. This phase will include development of hardware. A completely functional prototype is not required; however, the feasibility and the expected performance of a fully operational detection system should be clearly evident within the demonstration. PHASE III: A successful Acoustic Intercept Receiver system has the potential to transition into the N851 Program of Record. SECRET clearance may be required for Phase III. PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL/DUAL-USE APPLICATIONS: The specific application would have little use outside of the military, but there is some potential for the technology to spin off to some scientific applications that involve detection and DF on acoustic beacons. REFERENCES: 2. Swimmer Detection, Special Operations Technology, September 2005 (Available at: 3. First non-military diver detection system sold (Available at: http://www.gizmag.com/go/6226/). KEYWORDS: Sonar; Diver; Acoustic Intercept.
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