Anchored Marker Location & Ranging of Mines (AM-ALARM)

The navy seeks a mine location marker (MLM) which can be deployed by a Mission Recoverable Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (MRUUV). The MLM will allow the mine neutralization assets to quickly and accurately reacquire mine-like objects. Invocon proposes the Anchored Marker for Acoustic Location and Ranging of Mines (AM-ALARM). The system has two parts, the MLM, and a marker tracking device (MTD) which communicates with the MLM and determines distance and bearing. Communication is accomplished using ultrasonic acoustic hydrophones. The communication scheme is designed to minimize both external noise and multipath interference common to littoral regions. Distance is determined by using the velocity of sound in water, using local water conditions to insure accuracy. Bearing is determined by using directional hydrophones. An innovative anchoring system will hold the MLM in place while preventing the hydrophone from becoming buried.