L3 Communications - Ocean Systems, Products - Airborn Systems/Seaborn Systems

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Product Description
The proven high performance AQS-18AC components: dome control, reeling machine, and transducer have been interfaced to a powerful COTS digital processor with integral sonobouy processing, control unit, and display.

Applications
The advanced processing brings greater performance by virtue of high resolution digital processing, increased number of sonar beams, type and length of pulses, and operator displays. A high frequency mode has been added which provides high resolution identification/classification.

The AQS-18AC offers additional 1.6, 3.2, and 4 second pulse lengths. The longer pulses put more energy on the target, and provide higher Doppler resolution for maximum performance in highly reverberant shallow water conditions. Short pulses enable high range resolution localization and attack. Two FM modes are provided for extremely low Doppler target detection and maximum range resolution.

Key Benefits and Features
The total ASW system improvement of the AQS-18AC system is 14 dB over current systems and can provide more than two times the area search rate of the AQS-18. The identification/classification function yields high resolution pictures of threats out to 1 km. Performance prediction based on environmental conditions aids operator in selecting modes and parameters.

The 18AC has reserve processing power and space for additional processing features such as computer aided detection and classification, multi-sensor target fusion, embedded training, and performance prediction based on environmental data collected during past or current missions. Built-in 1553 data bus protocol facilitates integration with aircraft subsystems and components and provides for standalone installations. Built-in-test (BIT) eases support and boosts availability. The new processing weapon replaceable assemblies (WRA's) of the AQS-18AC have a significantly higher mean-time-between-failures (MTBF) than current systems. The ASW functions have been delivered to four nations with the Reson Seabat based identifier/classifier delivered to eight nations.