Quantifying the Value of Environmental Sources and Oceanographic Forecasts in Undersea Warfare Decision-Making
Abstract
This thesis explores the critical role of oceanographic forecasting in enhancing the United States Navy's undersea warfare (USW) mission, with a focus on passive sound navigation and ranging (SoNAR) techniques for detecting enemy submarines. Through a comparative analysis of two forecasting sources, one based on daily numerical modeling and the other on historical climatological data, the study assesses their impact on decision outcomes. Surprisingly, the research reveals that climatology offers comparable, if not slightly more reliable results than numerical forecasting, challenging conventional assumptions. The findings emphasize the importance of tailored environmental source selection and forecasting parameters in USW operations, potentially leading to improved mission success. Furthermore, the study suggests the need for further experiments in other regions and evaluating the impact of forecasting source on other USW decisions and the inclusion of classified ambient noise databases to enhance future decision-making processes in USW.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 2023
- Accession Number
- AD1224536
Entities
People
- Joseph Cantwell
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School