USA As Represented by Secretary of the Navy

Charles E Bell

Bruce S Maccabee

Jay S Hall

This discloses an improved side-scan sonar capable of locating objects on e ocean floor including the strip directly beneath the sonar transmitter and receiver, which in prior arrangements had to be obtained by another pass. The arrangement includes a platform having acoustic transmitters spaced apart a substantial distance on either side of acoustic receivers. The transmitter on the right directs its acoustic output to the left and the transmitter on the left directs its acoustic output to the right for increased shadow forming and enhanced detection by the receiver of objects of height directly beneath the receiver.

Bistatic side scan sonar

A pulsed laser beam aiming apparatus is configured such that substantially 00% of the energy from a pulsed laser beam from a Q-switched pulsed laser device is accurately aimed at a distant target/obstacle in space. The pulsed laser beam is reflected off of a multifaceted polygonal mirror spinning about its axis and perpendicularly affixed to a rotatable azimuthal table wherein the spinning mirror provides elevational orientation, and, in conjunction with the rotatable azimuthal table, azimuthal orientation. Control circuit and associated equipment cause the Q-switched pulsed laser device to be triggered on when a facet of the mirror is in the proper elevational and azimuthal orientation for the pulsed laser beam to hit the target/obstacle. Correct aiming of the pulsed laser beam at the target/obstacle is accomplished when the coordinates thereof are specific only as an elevational angle .+-.5 above and/or below the horizon and an azimuthal angle between 0.degree. and 360.degree..

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Rockville, MD, United States of America

Charles E Bell