Results from a Small Synthetic Aperture Sonar

Abstract

A Synthetic Aperture Sonar (SAS) is capable of producing range-independent high-resolution imagery from an array which is small in length. The ability of these systems to operate at lower frequencies while maintaining high resolution has made them useful for mapping and searching large areas. The US Navy is now focusing on developing SAS systems into a form robust enough for deployment. Here, we will show results from several sea tests and describe one such system known as the Small Synthetic Aperture Minehunter (SSAM)