Abstract:

Predictions of active-sonar system performance at 750 Hz and 3 kHz in shallow water were reported [J. H. Leclere et al., J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 100, 2604(A) (1996)] using a simple propagation model (FAME) in reverberation-limited situations. The water sound-speed profiles and bottom geoacoustic descriptions were derived from historical data collected in the Strait of Sicily. This analysis extends the previous work with more accurate propagation calculations (RASP) and the inclusion of signal spreading in harsh bottom-limited environments. Transmission loss, reverberation level, signal spreading (echo splitting loss), and signal excess for a generic sonar system are calculated for several realistic environmental descriptions in 100- and 800-m water depths. The sensitivity of sonar system predictions to spatial environmental variations are quantified and implications about space sampling strategies are discussed. [Work supported by ONR/NRL.]