Advanced Acoustic Concepts selects Sonardyne for Subsea Target Tracking

Advanced Acoustic Concepts, a U.S.-based subsea weapon, sensors, and integrated systems specialist has chosen Sonardyne's subsea positioning technology to work for the US Department of Defense (DoD).

Advanced Acoustic Concepts chose Sonardyne’s portable Micro-Ranger 2 Ultra-Short Baseline (USBL) system to support its existing DoD programs and provide its operatives with increased situational awareness during open ocean missions

Micro-Ranger 2 is designed to provide everything needed to start tracking divers, remotely operated vehicles, autonomous or unmanned underwater vehicles, or any other subsea targets, all from a single IP-67-rated ruggedized case small enough to operate anywhere, from anything, Sonardyne said.

The system can track up to 10 targets to over 3,000 ft (995 m) and comes complete with a surface-deployed Micro-Ranger Transceiver, a GNSS antenna, and two of Sonardyne’s smallest transponders, the Nano. The one-box solution also houses a built-in battery to support more than 10 hours of continuous use, as well as ethernet and Wi-Fi connectivity to connect to a user’s laptop for fast and easy tracking, Sonardyne added.

Dan Zatezalo, Technical Sales Manager for Sonardyne in the US, says, “We’re really excited to be supporting the work of such a technically strong company as Advanced Acoustic Concepts, which plays a critical part in supporting the US Navy.

“COTS equipment is playing an increasing role in supporting wider military operations and systems like Micro-Ranger 2 are part of that eco-system; providing navies globally with affordable, easy to acquire, mobilize, and dependable maritime technologies.

“The flexibility of the hardware platform and secure digital signal architecture inside Micro-Ranger 2 means that customers can also benefit from being able to use and integrate our different navigation, communications and control mission systems, seamlessly, all with technical and application support from our facilities in the US.”

Advanced Acoustic Concepts, which is based in New York and has facilities in Maryland and Pennsylvania, is co-owned by Leonardo DRS and Thales.