Underwater Sonar Target Simulators

Realistic at-sea target simulation for sonar training and development.

Hydrophone and speaker-array systems that simulate the acoustic signature of ships and submarines — listening for incoming sonar interrogation and returning a realistic phased-array response, used to train sonar operators and develop defence systems.

We developed the electronics and software for a series of hydrophone and speaker arrays used for simulating targets at sea. These arrays simulate the noise pattern created by a target ship or submarine, but also listen for incoming sonar interrogation signals and create the realistic response, using a phased array of speakers to direct the response signal in the same way as the real craft would. Our projects are considered the standard in the industry and are still used for training sonar operators and developing military solutions.

Core Capabilities

Acoustic target emulation combining signature playback with active interrogation response.

• Acoustic signature simulation — Reproduces the noise pattern of a target ship or submarine.
• Active interrogation response — Listens for incoming sonar pings and generates a realistic reply.
• Phased-array direction — Speaker array steers the response as the real craft would.
• Field-proven — Used as an industry standard for sonar-operator training and systems development.
• Phased array — Directional acoustic response
• Ship & sub — Target signatures emulated