Abstract: A method involves using an echo-ranging system to transmit a continuously repeating linear frequency modulated (LFM) signal through a propagation medium and receive a return signal reflected off of a target, performing signal processing on the return signal for processing intervals shorter in duration than the return signal waveform cycle, extracting detected echo sets from the processing intervals, estimating a time versus delay slope for each of the detected echo sets, estimating a target range-rate using the estimated time versus delay slopes, computing a bias error using the estimated target range-rate, applying timing correction to the detected echo sets to remove the bias error, and using the echo ranging system to transmit the detected echo set to a target tracker system.

Abstract: A method includes identifying a ping forecast time window given a current set of target tracks to hold, discretizing the ping forecast time window with more than one potential ping time, calculating, given more than one ping source and ping waveform, a ping control metric for each combination of potential ping time, ping source, and ping waveform, and creating a ping command using the maximum calculated ping control metric. The ping command includes a specific ping source from the more than one ping source, a specific ping waveform from the more than one ping waveform, and a specific ping time from the more than one potential ping time. The ping control metric may be a user-defined metric that is a function of predicted signal-to-noise ratios and predicted target tracks, and may contain aspect dependent target strength and target position and velocity data for a particular potential ping time.

Abstract: Methods, computer-readable means, and systems for minimizing false alarm rates and operator loading while conducting multistatic active sonar operations are disclosed. A plurality of sensor nodes is established, with each sensor node including an active sonar source, and a receiver. Each sensor node has a local storage center, and each node is connected to a data fusion center. During active sonar operations, a high threshold (HTH) and a low threshold (LTH) setting is established. For each sensor node, all sonar return data above the LTH setting are stored at its respective storage center. The HTH is set so that only specular echo returns exceed the HTH; when the HTH setting is exceeded, the fusion center retrieves LTH data from each storage center corresponding to the same specular echo return, in order to establish a track for the contact.