Multiping detection performance against bottom mines

Abstract

Sonar performance predictions often ignore the aspect dependence of target strength and echo return signal structure. In many cases, a single value is used to represent the target strength of a particular target or target type, or at best, a random fluctuation is attributed to the received target echo level on successive pings. Inclusion of the actual target aspect dependence is a straightforward procedure for a single ping sonar-mine encounter, given measured target strength over sufficient aspect angles. Estimation of multiping detector performance is somewhat more complicated when multiple looks at the target echo level and/or signal structure are available. This paper describes a procedure that uses measured target strength data to generate Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) curves describing expected sonar performance over a specified number of pings and arbitrary aspect angle sector width.