Impact of Littoral Environmental Variability on Acoustic Predictions and Sonar Performance

The limiting influence of the environment on sonar has long been recognised as a major challenge to science and technology. As the area of interest shifts towards the lit- toral, environmental influences become dominant both in time and space. The manyfold challenges encompass prediction, measurement, assessment and adaptive responses to maximize the effectiveness of systems. Although MCM and ASW activities are dom- inated in different ways and scales by the environment, both warfare areas have had to consider the significantly changing requirements posed by operations in the littoraL The fundamental scientific issues involved in developing models relating acoustics to the environment are matched in difficulty by the need for data for their validation and eventual practical use for prediction. In many instances the need is for on-line adaptation of systems to changing circumstances whilst other needs are for the Ionger term planning activities. This book and the attached full-color CD are the proceedings of a conference organ- ised by the SACLANT Undersea Research Centre, held at Villa Marigola, Lerici, Italy, on 16-20 September 2002. The fundamental problems associated with environmental 1 variability and sonar were explored at a previous SACLANTCEN conference in 1990. These problems have not gone away but, on the one hand are exaggerated by the move to the littoral and on the other hand, are open to treatrnent in new ways that advances in technology and computer power allow.