SBIR-STTR Award

This proposal seeks to develop innovative technologies to enable accurate placement of sonobuoy stores from high altitudes. This will be accomplished through a combination of numerical predictive modeling improvements and decelerator design improvements. An emphasis is placed on developing technologies that are compatible with existing systems, reliable in all expected conditions, and low cost.

Benefit:
By allowing a US Navy Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) to conduct ASW missions from high altitudes the airframe will experience less stress and fatigue extending aircraft operational life and improving safety. The MPA will be able to fly more efficiently at high altitudes increasing mission range and on station time. Perhaps most importantly, it will also decrease the risk of hostile fire to the crew and aircraft from surface or subsurface platforms.

Keywords:
sonobuoy trajectory modeling, sonobuoy trajectory modeling, parachute guidance, Sonobuoy, High Altitude

Improving sonobuoy splash point accuracy from high altitude deployments can be accomplished by designing a new descent mechanism (or making modifications to current systems), and / or improving the performance of existing splash point prediction algorithms. In order to maximize performance, we intend to continue the approach taken during Phase I and attack both problems in parallel during Phase II. The simulation developed during Phase I will be upgraded for improved fidelity, performance and integration with US Navy systems. The innovative deployment technique designed during Phase I will be developed into a proof of concept system and evaluated during extensive testing. All of the systems will be demonstrated in a final at sea exercise.

Benefit:
The trend in both air ASW operations is to conduct missions from a high altitude both to conserve the airframe and reduce crew exposure to threat. Sonobuoys deployed from high altitudes have splash location uncertainties large enough to make sonobuoy field deployment ineffective. This effort will extend the capability of existing ASW sensors such that they can be successfully utilized from high altitudes. Technology developed in this SBIR could be leveraged to assist the Coast Guard or other law enforcement agencies in large search and rescue (SAR) operations where low altitude deployment of SAR equipment is undesirable. Also, sensors to monitor marine mammals or icebergs could be deployed more accurately from a higher altitude.

Keywords:
high altitude ASW, Sonobuoy, P-8, Parachute