OFFICE OF NAVAL RESEARCH ACOUSTIC OBSERVATORY INDUSTRY DAY

Notice Date

June 11, 2001

Contracting Office

Office of Naval Research, 800 North Quincy St., Arlington, VA 22217-5660

ZIP Code

22217-5660

Description

The Office of Naval Research (ONR) announces a briefing for interested organizations concerning plans to fabricate, install and operate the Acoustic Observatory (AO) Robust Passive Sensor (RPS). The AO RPS has the exploratory development objective of defining the spatial and temporal properties of the shallow water environment that pose the fundamental limit to the performance of passive sonar systems. In addition, the AO RPS has the equally important engineering objective of optimizing spatio-temporal signal processing methods for an environmentally matched spatial aperture configured as either a mobile towed or a fixed deployed array of hydrophones. ONR encourages the teaming of interested organizations in response to anticipated Request for Proposals (RFPs) for the following: Array Wet Subsystem (AWS) The AWS has a notional concept that includes a large planar Horizontal Array Segment (HAS) consisting of either a Suspended Array Segment (SAS) or a Bottomed Array Segment (BAS) which are configured from multiple modular horizontal parallel line arrays. The HAS shall be connected to a shore based Trunk Termination Segment (TTS) by means of the Observatory Trunk Segment (OTS). Additionally, the AWS includes two independent, on-board and off-board, systems for hydrophone Array Element Location (AEL). The on-board AEL subsystem contains only components integral to the array modules and the off-board AEL can contain bottom mounted transmit-receive units. The HAS notional concept envisions a recoverable and reconfigurable array composed of linear hydrophone array modules that can be deployed as either a long multiline array aperture or a less lengthy Vertical "billboard" Array Segment (VAS). Array Processing Subsystem (APS) The notional APS concept consists of a Data Recording, Archiving and Management Segment (DRAMS) and a Beamforming and Output Processing Segment (BOPS). The APS shall contain the following functional components: data management, data archiving, a broadband real-time time delay-and-sum beamforming with AEL compensation, a frequency selective data adaptive beamformer and system Measure of Performance (MoP) parameter estimates. The MoPs shall include the continuous estimates of Array Signal Gain (ASG), Array Noise Gain (ANG) and horizontal spatial coherence distance. A Programmable Array Simulator (PAS) for the controlled stimulation of all acoustic and AEL AWS outputs at the TTS output shall also be acquired. Current plans are to install the AO RPS in coastal Florida waters and to perform concurrent monitoring of both critical propagation parameters (temperature and salinity depth profiles) and surfacing shipping traffic patterns. It is the goal of the AO RPS to completely characterize all components of sonar system performance in db budget format on both an anecdotal and statistical basis. The Acoustic Observatory (AO) program will hold an industry brief on Tuesday 24 July 2001 from 0830 to 1730 hours. The industry brief will be held at the Harbor Island Conference Center, which is located on the grounds of Naval Station Newport (NAVSTANPT), Newport, RI. Admission onto the grounds of Naval Station Newport is controlled and the material to be presented at the AO industry brief will be classified up to the SECRET level. Therefore a valid security clearance will be required to attend this briefing. To register to attend this event send an e-mail with AO Registration Package as the subject line to either Mr. John Law at lawjf@npt.nuwc.navy.mil or Ms. Pamela Borden at bordenps@npt.nuwc.navy.mil. AO Registration Packages are also available via facsimile by sending a request to 401-832-4902. Upon receipt of the completed AO Registration Package, potential attendees will receive directions to the Harbor Island Conference Center and other relevant information. Interested parties are reminded that eligibility to attend the industry brief and requests for copies of the classified briefing material are contingent upon receipt of the security information requested in the AO Registration Package and approval of the Government. No one will be admitted to the industry brief without the Government's prior approval. Requests to attend this briefing must be received no later than 1600 EDT Friday 13 July 2001. Only individuals who have submitted their registration and clearance information by 1600 EDT on 13 July 2001 and have received approval will be allowed to attend the AO RPS Industry Day on 24 July 2001. __

Record

Loren Data Corp. 20010613/SPMSC060.HTM (W-162 SN50O571)