geological features has about the same problems as a military sub- 

 marine; it must detect, classify, and capture its prey. By using 

 an acoustic echo ranging system out to perhaps 1,000 mieters to 

 provide search and to help avoid obstructions, both good search and 

 high safety should be achieved. Classification of objects will be ac- 

 complished at short ranges by visual methods. There is every 

 reason to believe that the water is clear enough to see at distances 

 of from 30 to 100 feet. Capture can be either photographic with 

 a camera, or be physical with nets, or with remotely-controlled 

 mechanical arms and storage bins. 



The camera equipment should be very complete, taking not 

 only time lapse movies, but also high quality stills and movies on 

 demand. Fortunately, some of the second generation deep sub- 

 marines now being designed have the electrical power to provide 

 sufficient illumination so water clarity may be the only limiting 

 factor in vision, photography, and TV. 



There has been little done either with research submarines 

 or good towing equipment from surface craft. The thermal tow 

 chains now used on Woods Hole and NEL ships that permit con- 

 tinuous underway observations down to several hundred feet are 

 merely indicative of future possibilities. 



In summary, 1 would like to say that although aircraft have 

 been very useful in oceanography, their overall general utility 

 is low compared to surface craft, so it is doubtful if there will 

 be more than one aircraft per ten surface ships. If the number 

 and capability of instruments for aircraft could be increased, 

 the overall efficiency of aircraft in oceanography might become 

 high enough to connpete seriously with surface craft on more than 

 just a speciality basis. 



The Navy has obtained a good many complex sonar and re- 

 cording equipments for use on such submarine projects as under- 

 ice work, equipment test, and survey. There will probably be 

 more demand for equipment of this type and there may be more 

 varied instrument requiremients after a few civilian subinarines 

 start doing oceanographic research. 



As you have noticed throughout this meeting, the surface 

 ship has done most of the work and will remain the standard of 

 comparison for the foreseeable future. Carefully selected and 



170 



