Underwater Search Angle Selection System and Method of Special Utility withSurface Contacts

摘要

A search angle selection system generates a search angle for a torpedo inresponse to a number of inputs. Initially, the system bounds the region to be insonified. The system determines the search angle which best insonifies the region from the surface down to the target's keel depth out to the maximum acquisition range of the torpedo, for each search depth accounting for the torpedo's attack angle. The system determines a set of attainable aimpoints along the surface which are based on the environmental and weapon parameters. It then finds rays which intersect the aimpoints and uses the ray angles to determine an optimal beam steering angle. For each search depth, the system categorizes the sound speed profile between the search depth and the surface, and determines the maximum range that can physically be reached from the search depth. Using the maximum range and the weapon's range gate, a maximum aimpoint is established. Using information on the extent of the beam pattern used by the torpedo, the system generates a minimum aimpoint. A number of evenly spaced aimpoints are generated between the maximum and minimum aimpoints. Critical rays to all of the aimpoints are found from which the optimal beam steering angles are determined. From the optimal beam steering angles, the weapon's search angles are selected.