Capabilities and Systems to Support Oceanqcraphic Goals 



27 



the Navy. However, the Navy is sponsoring devel- 

 opment of the ALVIN, a two-man submersible, 

 capable of diving to 6000 feet, to be operated by 

 the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. The 

 ALUMINAUT, a three-man submersible, capable 

 of 80-mile cruises at 15,000 to 18,000-foot depths 

 developed and constructed with private funds, is 

 being considered by the Navy for use in its re- 

 search programs. 



B. Defense (36 percent 1963-1972 Effort; 

 20 percent Basic, 16 percent Applied) 



The oceanogfraphic program of the Navy within 

 the Plan in support of the national defense goal 

 will total some $835 million over the ten-year 

 period. 



1. RESEARCH 



Included in this effort are the basic and applied 

 research programs supported by ONR, BuShips, 

 and BuWeps. These programs not only serve to 

 advance the frontiers of oceanographic knowl- 

 edge, but also serve to advance concepts in \veap- 

 ons development, detection devices, and naval 

 armament systems in general by the consideration 

 of favorable and limiting effects of environment. 

 These research programs have applications to pro- 

 and anti-submarine warfare, surface strike war- 

 fare, amphibious operations, Arctic operations, 

 mine warfare, and in the general area of logistics 

 support, including maintenance of hulls and sub- 

 merged installations and transportation of men 

 and material. A few highlighted research areas 

 follow: 



(a) USW Research 



As has been stated previously, the Navy's pri- 

 mary concern in oceanography relates to undersea 

 warfare. At least six Navy laboratories currently 

 participate in an intensive campaign of oceano- 

 gfraphic research that includes investigations of the 

 shape and nature of the sea floor, description of 

 the activity and constituency of the sea itself, and 

 the quantification of the interactions between the 

 ocean and atmosphere related to underwater 

 acoustics and the parameters of temperature, 

 salinity, sea surface phenomena, etc. 



(b) Other Physical Properties 



Many other physical properties and phenomena, 

 such as surface and internal waves, tides, currents 

 and turbulence, infrared and electromagnetic 

 properties, radioactivity, optical properties, and 

 many individual bottom properties, have technical 

 and design implications. Practically every bureau 

 laboratory active in Navy oceanography partici- 

 pates in one or another aspect of this program 

 which is coordinated by the Office of Naval 

 Research. 



(c) Marine Biology 



Marine creatures interfere with underwater 

 acoustic systems, influence mines and mine coun- 

 termeasures, damage structures, luminesce, are 

 poisonous, venomous or toxic, and provide clues 

 about the presence of underwater targets. Again 

 the Office of Naval Research coordinates this re- 

 search program which includes participation of 

 five Navy laboratories. 



2. SHIPS 



The second major category of Navy funding con- 

 cerns construction of oceanographic ships. It is 

 divided nearly evenly between the direct support 

 of Navy projects and the support of interagency 

 or privately initiated projects from which the Navy 

 is expected to benefit in common with other par- 

 ticipants. The quarter-billion dollars projected for 

 ship construction is tentatively allocated as shown 

 in Table 3. 



3. MILITARY SURVEYS 



The Naval Oceanographic Office carries out a 

 program of military surveys. In contrast to the na- 

 tional Ocean Survey Program (described in the 

 next chapter) which has as its objective a general 

 strengthening of knowledge of the oceans, the 

 military survey program is focused specifically on 

 the Navy's operational requirements. These sur- 

 veys are designed either as mapping and charting 

 expeditions for strategic areas or to provide en- 

 vironmental information requisite to design instal- 

 lation and operation of anti-submarine warfare 

 systems. A fleet of eight ships and a current annual 

 budget of about $11 million supports this program. 



During the coming decade 13 ships (of which 

 seven will replace existing hulls) will be added. 



