Implementation of rough surface loss in sonar performance models

The past few decades have seen notable advances in the development of widely applicable, robust sub-models for the mathematically-tractable aspects of ocean acoustic propagation. In contrast, many of the empirically-oriented, less tractable aspects of propagation have received less than their due attention, and their inclusion in sonar performance models compromises the accuracy that might have been achieved by the more advanced propagation algorithms. One leading problem area that has not been adequately developed, and which in some cases is the weak link in sonar modeling, is the scattering of acoustic energy at the rough sea surface. This paper reviews the prevailing inconsistencies associated with how surface scattering has been implemented in current sonar performance models and describes some of the measures in progress to achieve consistency within the ocean engineering community.