NAVY CAPABILITIES 



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New ASR (foreground), shown alongside today's ASR-16. The catamaran hull 

 configuration provides a stable and suitable platform and a large working area neces- 

 sary for launching, retrieving and supporting the Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle 

 (DSRV) and the Advanced Diving System (ADS IV). 



The DSSV design will aim at an operating depth of 20,000 ft. High- 

 strength steels or titanium will be developed for the pressure hull, and 

 developments in buoyancy material are required to meet severe weight 

 constraints. 



An advanced power source for the DSSV is required to achieve the de- 

 sired endurance on the bottom. Because of weight constraints, a fuel cell 

 appears to be the most promising candidate for this service. The Navy is 

 planning to initiate a development program for a fuel cell specifically de- 

 signed for a 20,000 ft DSSV. 



Of paramount importance in a search mission is a reliable sensor to find 

 the target, and a precise positioning system to pinpoint its location. One 

 of the prime search tools being developed is a side-looking sonar. Side- 

 looking sonar can find objects on the sea floor by sending out a narrow 

 beam, wide in the vertical plane. Since the beam is sent primarily laterally, 

 the energy of the beam is reflected away from the source. Very little 

 energy is scattered from the sea floor back toward the receiver, except 

 when an object or outcropping is encountered. These contacts cause a 

 shadow when the side-looking-sonar returns are viewed on a recorder. 



