Reduced Signatures Thrust

Overview

During the past two decades, the enemy's ability to perform threat detection, classification, and targeting has improved significantly due to the advent of low-cost, more-capable electronic circuitry, computational resources, and sensor technologies. Consequently, the risk to Navy combatants has appreciably increased. It is imperative that the Navy have a strategy to counter current and anticipated future improvements in threat technologies. The Reduced Signatures thrust will enhance the war-fighting ability of Navy combatants by reducing their susceptibility to detection, classification, and targeting and improving their survivability. Specific signature areas addressed in this thrust are:

• Reduced Underwater Signatures: Lower the acoustic and electromagnetic signatures of surface and submarine platforms.
• Reduced Above-Water Signatures: Lower the radar and infrared signatures of surface combatants.

Coordination of Reduced Signatures work with programs in several other ONR 334 thrusts—Advanced Electrical Power Systems, Hull Life Assurance, and Hydromechanics—ensures that all elements of the Hull, Mechanical, and Electrical Area operate in unison and provide the Navy an effective overall program.

Above-Water Signature Reduction

Underwater Signature Reduction

The S&T acoustical studies in this area will ensure the continued dominance of US submarines and will provide the basis for future improvements in surface ship acoustical performance. The efforts also address electrical and magnetic signatures generated by the hull and internal machinery. Reduction of these signatures will reduce US combat platforms' vulnerability to threat mines. Specific areas of research include:

• Controlling and reducing acoustic signatures and electric and magnetic fields in the 2010 modular-payload submarine hull.
• Expanding the knowledge of basic physics required to understand and control surface ship acoustic signatures.
• Improving three-dimensional acoustics codes to support the current fleet of axi-symmetric Albacore hull submarines.
• Developing physics-based acoustic measurement techniques for complex structures.
• Developing theories and modeling techniques to support the understanding and mitigation of electric and magnetic fields associated with submarine platforms.

The underwater portion of the Reduced Signatures thrust addresses future payload modular hull physics and enhanced and affordable signature mitigation for submarines. For surface ships, concerns are hull structural acoustics phenomenology, further development of electromagnetic modeling tools, and active and passive control technologies.

Also See:

• Basic Research Descriptions For:
  • Acoustic and Non-Acoustic Signatures
  • Computational Mechanics
  • Composite Mechanics

Points of Contact:

Non-Acoustic Signature Reduction
Program Officer
Phone: 703-696-0987
E-mail: 334NA@onr.navy.mil

Acoustic Signature Reduction
Program Officer
Phone: 703-588-2361
E-mail: 334AS@onr.navy.mil