Sonar: US submarines get acoustic signal processing upgrade

The US submarine fleet is undergoing an overhaul of its sonar signal processing systems. Defense Industry Daily has a short article.

Acoustics: Science of sound in the sea

Sound requires a medium, such as air, to travel in. Here is a link to a site dedicated to the case where the medium is water. The site belongs to the University of Rhode Island (USA) and it has plenty of information for educators and students about the science of sound and the animals that make underwater sounds, such as dolphins, whales, and fish. I particularly liked the recordings of the animal sounds.

PS. Thanks to C.S. for the link!

Acoustics: Underwater acoustic modem

An Israeli start-up, Sea-Eye Underwater Ltd., has developed an underwater acoustic modem that is fast enough to transmit real-time video. The reported range of the modem is 100-200 meters (1 meter = 1 yard, approximately).

EETimes has the story.

Acoustics: New British Sub Unveiled

The Telegraph (UK center-right newspaper) has an article on the unveiling of the Astute, a next generation, British Royal Navy nuclear submarine. Some of the 'factoids' mentioned in the article are very interesting - the nuclear power plant has the acoustic signature of a "torch" (British English for "flashlight"), it can detect the QE2 cruise liner leaving the harbor in New York all the way from the English Channel, and it uses a fiber optic "periscope" instead of the traditional kind. Enjoy!