Royal Australian Navy Laser Airborne Depth Sounder, The First Year of Operations

The Laser Airborne Depth Sounder (LADS) has been a longstanding research and development project with the Royal Australian Navy. Following Defence Acceptance Trials the system was provisionally accepted into service and commenced operational surveys in north Queensland in March 1993. The majority of the year saw LADS surveying in the Flinders Passage area from operational bases in Townsville and later Caims. During that period a number of enhancements were implemented and LADS was formally accepted into naval service on 8th October. In November a new survey was commenced between Fairway Channel and Bunker Reef, about 200 nautical miles north of Caims. After dealing briefly with the history of development, this paper will concentrate on the operational and surveying aspects of LADS' first year, and comment on the direction of further development.