- Author
- A.N. Other and NHSA Webmaster
- Subjects
- Ship design and development
- Tags
-
- RAN Ships
- None noted.
- Publication
- March 1997 edition of the Naval Historical Review (all rights reserved)
The sonar is designed to operate in either the hull mounted or variable depth (deployed) mode.
The sonar has dual frequency search and dual frequency classification capability which can be operated in hull or deployed mode. In deployed mode simultaneous operations on both search sonars at different frequencies ensures complete coverage of the total water volume, with the lower frequency covering mid water to surface and the high frequency providing coverage to the seabed. The lower classification frequency provides good discrimination at safe stand-off ranges in all but high reverberation conditions while the higher frequency provides optimal discrimination and excellent imaging capability even in conditions of extreme reverberation. The sonar has a wide field of view without the need for scanning, which together with full volume coverage ensures the maximum search rate. This is a critical parameter which enhances the mine clearance rate for the vessel.
The low grazing angle of the sonar beam to the seabed is a key advantage of the variable depth sonar. It provides a much enhanced capability to detect mines partly buried in muddy bottom conditions. The sonar is ideally suited to tropical waters where it can be deployed below the thermal layer to obtain best coverage even in the most severe sound velocity profiles by using information from the in-built minehunting performance rendition system.
Mine Disposal Vehicle
For mine disposal the ships have two electrically powered Bofors Underwater Systems SUTEC Double Eagle II mine disposal vehicles equipped with a searchlight, closed-circuit low light television camera and on board detection and identification sonar. Control commands are relayed via a fibre-optic link inside the vehicle’s power tether, which also serves a relay for sensor images which can then be displayed on any of the multifunction consoles in the operations room. The standard payload, slung below the vehicle, is a mine disposal charge which is released in close proximity to the mine. The vehicle can also be fitted with explosive or mechanical cutters to sever the wire tether of moored mines.
Minesweeping System
The Huon Class is fitted with the ADI lightweight mechanical minesweeping system to sweep moored mines. The ship is also capable of deploying the ADI Dyad magnetic acoustic influence sweep.