Rapidly Deployable Systems (RDS) Underwater Acoustic Telemetry Trials Report

Abstract : Maritime surveillance of Australia's littoral waters and approaches is important to the defense and well being of its resources. Rapidly Deployable Systems (RDS) that can be safely delivered and deployed, and then interrogated and controlled from near and/or far, may provide an important force multiplier for the ADF. However, the efficiency of these systems will, amongst other things, depend on the performance of the external data telemetry link. This is particularly true of an underwater acoustic communication or telemetry link that may be used by a patrol to interrogate and extract contact data from a surveillance barrier. This paper describes work done by the Maritime Operations Division Salisbury, to design, develop, and trial a simple, low cost, high data rate underwater acoustic telemetry system in a shallow water littoral environment.