Project Centurion: installation of lightweight acoustic arrays in shallow water

In July 2004, a team of the Naval Facilities Engineering Service Center (NFESC), Northrop Grumman Corporation, and Sound & Sea Technology, Inc. installed a passive acoustic underwater harbor security system in shallow water off Hueneme Harbor, California. The system is comprised of two arrays using advanced-technology optical-fiber hydrophones cabled to a processing center on shore. This system has operated successfully since it was installed and survived the severe winter, 2005 storms. The system has been tested in a series of exercises against a variety of targets and has demonstrated the ability to detect and track both surface and subsurface intruders. The system will be augmented with a variety of additional sensors for integration into a comprehensive port and harbor security system