Context:
The US recently approved a USD 52.8 million government-to-government deal for the sale of Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Sonobuoys that will be integrated with the Indian Navy’s Romeo helicopters.
Relevance:
Facts for Prelims
Overview of Sonobuoys
- Sonobuoys are compact, disposable units utilized in marine acoustics and sonar systems for detecting and analyzing underwater sounds, especially for submarine tracking.
- These devices are integral to military operations against submarines, aiding in their detection in both deep sea and coastal zones, potentially leading to targeted torpedo strikes.
- Historical Use: Originally deployed in World War II for identifying German U-boats.
Deployment Techniques
- Methods of Deployment: Sonobuoys are typically released into the ocean via aircraft or from naval vessels like ships or submarines.
- Operation: After deployment, they descend to a set depth and start monitoring underwater sounds to identify submarine locations.
- Strategic Deployment: They can be arranged in specific patterns to precisely ascertain the location of underwater targets.
Types of Sonobuoys
- Passive Sonobuoys: These devices passively record sounds without generating any signals themselves, using a hydrophone to capture sound waves from targets.
- Active Sonobuoys: These emit acoustic pulses and measure the echoes to identify and track objects underwater.
- Special Purpose Sonobuoys: Equipped to gather environmental data such as water temperature and ambient noise levels, aiding broader scientific research.
Components and Additional Uses
- Sonobuoys are typically made up of a buoyant housing equipped with acoustic sensors, a power source, and a communication system to transmit data to a base station like a ship or aircraft.
- Broader Applications: Beyond military applications, sonobuoys are also employed in scientific studies, including oceanographic research and studying marine life behaviors, such as those of whales.
-Source: Indian Express
