12. APPLIED RESEARCH INSTRUMENTATION REQUIREMENTS 



INCLUDING ASWEPS 



PART I. FOR THE HYDROGRAPHIC OFFICE (ASWEPS) 



John J. Schule, Jr. 



Navy Department 

 Washington, D. C. 



I have been asked to describe briefly the instrumentation 

 requirements of the AntiSubmarine Warfare Environmental Pre- 

 diction System (ASWEPS). At the outset, I should mention that 

 the ASWEPS program is not new, but is approximately 2 years 

 old. Consequently, a considerable amount of contracting in sup- 

 port of instrumentation requirements has already been accom- 

 plished. These contracts have been executed mainly for the 

 development of better and more reliable instruments; no large- 

 scale procurement actions have been undertaken. 



ASWEPS may be described briefly as a program for develop- 

 ing the capability for providing ASW operating forces with up-to- 

 the-minute environmental intelligence in the form of recent analy- 

 ses and predictions on a continuing basis. The approach that has 

 been chosen as most potentially successful is one similar to that 

 used in weather prediction and involves the establishment and 

 operation of a synoptic oceanographic reporting network. It is in 

 connection with this network that most of the instrumentation 

 requirements of ASWEPS arise. Data handling, trcinsmission, and 

 processing equipment are very important, because the observations 

 obtained by the synoptic network will be transnnitted to shore-based 

 centers where analyses and predictions will be prepared. It is 

 fvirther planned to make the preparation of end products as auto- 

 mated and as objective as possible; research is being conducted 

 to develop these techniques. 



In development of the synoptic network, the ASWEPS program 

 has not envisioned the exclusive utilization of one type of platform; 

 rather, it has been planned to utilize any and all platforms avail- 

 able and suitable to the purpose. Available ships, whether in fixed 

 locations or randomly distributed throughout an area, are preferred 



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