Optimization of passive DIFAR sonobuoy deployment

A passive DIFAR sonobuoy estimates target bearings based on one omnidirectional sensor and two acoustic vector sensors with limited spatial filtering capabilities, resulting in low accuracy. In noise-limited ocean environments, the use of sonobuoy alone decreases the detection accuracy. To mitigate this issue and localize the target, it is essential to use multiple sonobuoys. This study models the bearing estimate of each sonobuoy in a sonobuoy network within the ocean environment using a probabilistic approach and generate an ambiguity map to localize the target in x-y plane. The ambiguity map may visualize the possibility of target position in x-y plane. Moreover, this study will propose a method to optimize sonobuoy deployment strategy using this ambiguity map. Funding: This work was supported by Korea Research Institute for defense Technology planning and advancement (KRIT) -Grant funded by Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) (KRIT-CT-23-026, Integrated Underwater Surveillance Research Center for Adapting Future Technologies,2023-2029)