Development of Underwater Acoustic Arrays for Passive Detection of Sound Sources

This article contains a review of a ten-year program of underwater acoustic research which has led to a ten-fold improvement in the capability of submarines to detect and track target vessels by means of passive sonar. Included in the article are a brief historical review of submarine sonar techniques utilized by the United States and other countries and a discussion of experimental sonar arrays developed by the Underwater Sound Laboratory. Technical information obtained from these experiments was incor porated into specifications for improved sonars now installed in submarines of the United States Navy.