News (old) – Page 2 of 3 – Marine Acoustics, Inc.

August 11, 2021

MAI awarded SBIR Phase I funding for the initial development of an Intelligent Assistance for Anti-Submarine Warfare

MAI has been awarded a six-month Phase I SBIR for $140,000 to develop a feasibility study for an Intelligent Assistant for Anti-Submarine Warfare. Along with our new partners at Clarifai, we will be creating the SONAR Engagement Naval Systems Enhancing Intelligence (SENSEI) utilizing AI to bring together environmental information from the on-board tactical decision aid (TDA), in-situ, real-time assessment of the environment, and machine-learning algorithms to provide operators situational awareness regarding key parameters such as primary propagation path(s), bearing-dependent complications (such as sea mounts that might obscure threats), significant topology features into which a threat might retreat to minimize detection, best tactical waveforms, and situational best practices to enable operators to maximize the potential of the tactical sonar suite for the specific conditions present at that time and location. SENSEI will have a significant analysis component but will also have a direct interface with the operator through additional display elements. In addition to realizing performance gains of at least 25% on active sonar detection, active sonar classification, active sonar tracking and end-to-end metrics relative to naïve employment of the system, this will enhance affordability by reducing the training time needed to realize a given level of operational performance. Read More… Read the rest

March 18, 2021

MAI Awarded $1.6M Phase II Small Business Innovative Research for a Theater Anti-Submarine Warfare Risk Tactical Decision Aid

MAI, in coordination with partners L3Harris, are pleased to announce the award of a Phase II Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) grant for a Theater Anti-Submarine Warfare (TASW) Risk Analysis Tactical Decision Aid (TDA).

Theater Anti-Submarine Warfare (TASW) Planners may be overwhelmed by decisions regarding risk to future plans, according to current asset allocation (mitigation) against potential threats. At the Commander, Task Force (CTF) Watchfloor, the TASW planners have a series of resources to analyze risk vs mitigations to current TASW operations, to include a Common Operating Picture (COP), METOC and Intel Support. The Undersea Warfare Decision Support System (USW-DSS), a Command and Control (C2) system, was designed to help fuse this data into an ASW tactical picture, however, current USW-DSS functionality lacks risk analysis mission planning capability that captures the full needs of the disparate users in both understanding and assessing risk (relative to existing mitigation measures) to future plans.

TASW planners require risk analysis mission planning capability in order to “visualize” and “evaluate” the full impact of the risk involved to future operations in a high op-tempo, multi-threat environment. Further this capability must not only provide decision makers situational awareness they currently lack regarding the nature of the risk but also provide an evaluation of “residual” risk resulting from current mitigation measures; and do so in an intuitive way within a GUI able to interface with current UWS-DSS display and architecture.

TASW Risk Assessment Visualization Concept

During the Phase I effort, the MAI team was able to demonstrate proof of concept for a Theater Anti-Submarine Warfare (TASW) Risk Analysis Tactical Decision Aid (TDA) able to visualize TASW risk to Future Operations (FUOPS) planners. The TDA utilizes MAI’s logic-based, 4-D Monte-Carlo acoustic modeling and simulation software, as well as acoustic databases and sensor libraries developed as part of the Phase I effort.

TASW Risk Assessment Prototype Concept

MAI’s Java-based TDA software is designed to integrate as an overlay with USW-DSS via an existing surrogate framework developed at L3Harris. Further the TDA, though designed to operate as a standalone overlay in Phase II, will be capable of operating complementary to existing USW-DSS overlays as well as leverage existing acoustic models and databases as part of Phase III transition planning.

This technology directly addresses current lack of TASW watchfloor tools tuned to the needs of Future Operations (FUOPS) planners, specifically the ability to “visualize” and “evaluate” acceptable Commander’s risk to future operations in order to provide guidance at key decision points in the planning process, as well as formulate appropriate mitigation plans.… Read the rest

June 22, 2020

MAI Awarded $3M Rapid Innovation Fund

MAI, in coordination with partners In-Depth Engineering Corp (IEC) and L3Harris, is pleased to announce the award of a Department of Defense Rapid Innovation Fund (RIF) for the development of a Cooperative Sonar Engagement capability for Theater ASW (C-SET). C-SET delivers networked mission planning and communication capability to optimize cooperative use of Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) assets, optimizing placement of receive sensors and platforms capable of active emissions for bistatic active sonar. This capability leverages both existing Advanced Processing and Capability (AxB) sonar builds and Undersea Warfare Decision Support System (USW-DSS) architecture and an at-sea demo utilizing Program Executive Office Integrated Warfare Systems (PEO-IWS) 5A sponsor resources are anticipated within the 2-year RIF period.

Integration of C-SET into Common AxB sonar systems (e.g., AN/SQQ-89, AN/BQQ-10) and Theater-level planning tools (AN/UYQ-100, NAUTICA) will allow the Theater ASW Commander the capability to use ASW assets synergistically; enabling a team of sensors to experience as much as a 50% increase in sonar coverage over single-ship (monostatic) sonar capability. Additionally, this includes opening active operations, traditionally an overt ASW prosecution mode, to the possibility of not only covert reception by multiple sensors but also mitigation of interference by unnecessary sources.

The Cooperative use of multiple sonars refines localization of undersea threats and enables advanced kill tactics and optimization of Theater ASW forces in complex cooperative sonar engagements. Further, the matured capability is directly transferrable to High-Velocity USW Outcomes for new surface platforms (Future Frigate, Large Surface Combatant, Large Unmanned Surface Vehicle) and undersea platforms (Orca, Snakehead, Razorback, Knifefish) identified in the Chief of Naval Operations’ Design 2.0 strategy, under a common AxB framework.

The C-SET RIF is directly enabled by the recent completion of a key Phase II SBIR, N151-055, Multi-ship Sonar Bistatic Automatic Active Localization. Marine Acoustics Inc (MAI) and In-Depth Engineering Corp (IEC), in collaboration with the Applied Research Lab, University of Texas (ARLUT), verified a prototype capability enabling cooperative bistatic sonar processing with associated planning capability on an AN/SQQ-89 on a legacy Advanced Capability Build (ACB) Sonar system. MAI leveraged extensive operational ASW experience with Tactical Decision Aid (TDA) and 4-D (time-based and three-dimensional space) virtual Mission Planning Tool (MPT) capability, using its Acoustic Integration Model (AIM©) modeling and simulation software for this effort.

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May 20, 2020

MAI’s research on the Block Island Wind Farm featured in the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America

Jennifer Amaral published an article on the “Characterization of impact pile driving signals during installation of offshore wind turbine foundations” in the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America. The article analyzes acoustic measurements collected with funding from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and in conjunction with the University of Rhode Island and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution during pile driving for the foundations at the first offshore wind farm in U.S. waters. Metrics of rise and decay time, pulse duration, kurtosis, and sound pressure levels were characterized to investigate the impulsiveness of the pile driving signal over range. Variations in the radiated sound field were observed along different azimuths and were further investigated through finite element modeling.

The following article appeared in The Journal of the Acoustical Society America Vol. 147, Issue 4, and may be found here.

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May 20, 2020

MAI’s Dr. Adam Frankel featured in Marine Mammal Science

Dr. Adam Frankel published an article entitled, “Gray whales hear and respond to signals from a 21-25 kHz active sonar” in Marine Mammal Science. This article discusses research funded by the Office of Naval Research. Southbound gray whales off California were presented with 21-25 kHz sound sweeps. A research vessel moored in the migration path, transmitted the sweeps half the time and was silent the other half. Whales had no overt or obvious response to the sound. However, later statistical analyses showed that the whales slightly avoided the sound. This response demonstrates that gray whales can hear sounds in the 21-25 kHz range. These findings extend our understanding of baleen whale hearing.

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April 22, 2020

MAI Recognized by Aerospace & Defense Review as “Top 10 Maritime Consulting/Service Companies” in 2020

Marine Acoustics, Inc. is being recognized by the Aerospace and Defense Review as a 2020 Top 10 Maritime Consulting/Service Company. This annual list recognizes companies that are at the forefront of providing maritime consulting/services and transforming businesses. Tom Stewart, MAI’s president, and CEO is featured in the article, in addition to MAI’s history and areas of expertise. View the article in the link below to learn more about MAI and our plans for the future.

U.S. Looks To Build On Strong Australia & Indo-Asia-Pacific Maritime Defense Partnerships At Pacific 2019

On October 8-10, 2019, MAI’s Vice President of Virginia Operations, Steve Psaras, attended the Pacific International Maritime Exposition 2019 in Sydney, Australia. He met with over 24 U.S. and Australian-based companies for potential overseas services export and collaboration associated with the Royal Australian Navy’s recent upgrade initiatives in submarine/surface SONAR and testing range activities. Pacific 2019, which is held every 2-years, is the largest maritime defense forum in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. The event includes hundreds of exhibitors in the Australian Maritime Defense Industry, as well as dozens of Naval representatives in the Indo-Asia-Pacific. MAI was one of 27 countries exhibiting in the U.S. Partnership Pavilion and was featured in the following news article associated with the expo.

“It is important for U.S. government and industry to have a unified presence at Pacific 2019 due to the enormous geostrategic maritime, economic and military importance of the region,” said Steve Psaras, Vice President of Virginia Operations at Marine Acoustics, a first-time Pacific Expo exhibitor. “This show provides a forum where we can all work together with our allied counterparts toward mutual national security and defense interests, leveraging regional expertise for the most efficient cooperation.”

MAI’s participation was sponsored by the Virginia Export Development Program (VEDP), a program developed by the Commonwealth of Virginia to encourage international export activity for small Virginia-based companies, under their Global Defense Program (GDP). GDP provides a stipend for conference attendance and export compliance activity, along with a travel grant under the Small Business Association’s (SBA’s) State Trade Expansion Program (STEP).

MAI Attends The Effects of Noise on Aquatic Life International Conference

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May 29, 2019

MAI Presented at The Northeast Regional Environmental Acoustics Symposium

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May 22, 2019

MAI Scientist Presents in Webinar Series on Underwater Noise Associated with Pile Driving

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