The Virtual Navy

HYDROPHONE: This switch controls the winch that DEPLOYS or RETRIEVES the Dipping Sonar sensor. Deploying the sensor when traveling at a speed greater than 30 knots damages the sensor. When the sensor is deployed to the desired length, click STOP to keep from deploying the entire cable.

Dragging the dipping sensor through the water at too great a speed damages the sensor. Speeds over 1 knot will degrade reception. If speed exceeds 8 knots you will not be able to detect anything. Speeds over 30 knots will break the sensor.

MAD: This switch controls the winch that DEPLOYS or RETRIEVES the Magnetic Anomaly Detection (MAD) and Submarine Anomaly Detection (SAD) sensors. When the sensor is deployed to the desired length, click STOP to keep from deploying the entire cable.

The MAD sensor deploys out behind the helo as it flies. Maintain a speed of at least 50 knots.

SONOBUOY LAUNCH DISPLAYS From this display you can launch sonobuoys immediately or through the use of waypoints. The Sonobuoy Launch Display and the placement of Sonobuoy Waypoints are covered here.

To Place a Sonobuoy Drop Waypoint By default a buoy of the type currently selected in the Sonobuoy Launch Display is dropped when the Sonobuoy waypoint button is clicked. To drop a buoy of a different type:

1. At the top of the Weapon and Sonobuoy Launch Display, click the button above the Sonobuoy label to display the Sonobuoy Options.

2. At the right or left side of the Weapon and Sonobuoy Launch Display click the button next to the type of sonobuoy to be launched at the waypoint. (Deep sets buoy depth at 400 ft, shallow sets buoy depth at 90 feet.)

3. In the Waypoint panel under the Geoplot click the SONOBUOY button. A waypoint with the letter (B) beside it appears on the Geoplot display after Ownship or after a selected waypoint. The type of buoy selected in the Sonobuoy Launch Display is assigned to drop at that location.

Note: The number of buoys of a given type currently assigned to a waypoint appears in parenthesis after the stores number. The parenthetical number is updated appropriately when the buoy is deployed or when the waypoint is deleted before the buoy is deployed.

4. Click and drag the waypoint to position it as desired.

5. When a waypoint is selected, waypoint information appears in the Geoplot DDI.

6. Once a buoy is assigned to a waypoint the type of buoy cannot be changed. You can delete the waypoint and insert a new one with the desired type of buoy. When a buoy waypoint is deleted the count is recalculated and stores are updated appropriately. TIP: If the size and zoom of the Geoplot Display make viewing multiple waypoints difficult, switch to the Nav Map and drag the waypoints to the desired location there. Since land is not visible on the Geoplot, moving the buoy drop points on the Nav Map helps you insure that you are not dropping a buoy over land.

Note: All sonobuoys regardless of who launched them have track numbers that begin with 0. Contacts that you or your Autocrew mark in your acoustic station, have track numbers that reflect your own platform ID (track) number.

ACOUSTIC DATA DISPLAY WINDOWS If “hot” buoys are detected at mission start, the four Acoustic Data Display Windows, also called grams, are tuned to transmitting channels, even if Acoustic Autocrew is not on. These will all be set to Omni mode if the Acoustic Autocrew is not on. If Acoustic Autocrew is not on at mission start and buoys are subsequently dropped and begin transmitting (are ‘hot’), you must tune the display windows to the desired channel yourself. The parts of the Acoustic Display are described below.

Note: The MH-60R can process 16 buoys at once. Because of in-game screen space restraints only four data display windows are visible in this acoustic station in S.C.S. – Dangerous Waters.

To Enter a Frequency Alert To be alerted when a specific frequency is detected by a sonobuoy, enter the desired frequency into one of the Frequency Alert fields. Click or right-click the digits or the thumbwheels in the Frequency Alert fields to increment or decrement the numbers until the desired frequency is displayed. Click ENABLE to move the alert switch into the on position. When the designated frequency is detected the alert light flashes.

To View Sonobuoy Data The following steps allow you to view and process data from transmitting buoys. A hot buoy has a red center when viewed on the Nav Map.

1. To determine the channel on which a buoy is transmitting, visit the Nav Map [F5]. The channel in use by a buoy appears on the Nav Map next to its NTDS symbol and appears in the DDI when the symbol is selected.

2. At the Acoustic Station [F3], select one of the four Acoustic Data Display Windows labeled with Roman numerals by clicking the associated button in the GRAM CONTROL panel.

3. Click or right-click on the CHANNEL SELECT thumbwheels or digits to increment or decrement the numbers until the desired channel number is entered. This tunes the selected window to the data transmitting on the selected channel. If a buoy is transmitting on the channel, there may be a short delay until that data appears.

Note: Wait until your selection has taken effect before selecting a different Gram Control button or it will revert to the former setting.

Types of Sonobuoy DATA What appears in a Gram Display Window depends on the type of buoy transmitting and the mode selected. See Training/Sonar School/Sonobuoys for more information on sonobuoys. DICASS: Omni, Directional and Active modes are possible.

DIFAR: Omni and Directional modes are possible.

VLAD: Omni and Directional modes are possible.

 BT: Only Sound Speed Profile (SSP) mode is possible.

LOFAR: Only Omni mode is possible. (LOFAR buoys may appear in a mission but they are not carried by any controllable platform in S.C.S. – Dangerous Waters.)

Display Window Requirements by Mode  

Omni mode requires one Gram Display Window and reports only frequency data. Omni data indicates only that frequencies are detected. They cannot be marked, but they can be used to classify platforms using the Frequency Profile Library.

Directional mode requires two Display Windows,

one containing both bearing and frequency data the other Omni (frequency only) data. Bearings can be marked in Directional mode and appear on the Nav Map at a default range.

 Active mode requires three windows. One is used to transmit and receive data the other two appear blank and indicate they are supporting the active mode channel. Contacts can be marked but the sound profile library is not available. Both bearing and range data are reported to the Nav Map when Active contacts are marked.

 BT/SSP mode provides the depth of the thermal layer in that location. See more about the acoustic layer in Training/Sonar School/Underwater Sound Propagation. Submarines frequently use the layer to hide. Knowing the depth of the layer in the area helps you determine a depth for buoys and the dipping sonar.

Omni Mode Frequency Data Omni mode provides frequency data only. It indicates something is out there and is emitting the detected frequencies. The frequencies cannot be marked and there is no indication of the bearing to the contact. Omni is useful for comparing the detected sound profile to a library of known sound profiles. Click the button to the right of the LIBRARY label to access the Sound Profile Library.

Classifying a Contact with the Profile Library When a Sonobuoy is in ONMI or Directional Mode, search the Sound Profile Library to find the frequency profile of the class that most closely matches the frequency profile of the detected contact.

1. Click the Library button to display the Profile Library Controls and data. The LIBRARY button label becomes BACK and the Filter button and arrow buttons become active.

2. Click the FILTER button on the left to reduce the number of profiles in the list to those that most closely match the profile of the detected contact.

3. The position of the Profile Frequency Indicators (inverted carets) depicts the frequency profile for the Class Profile selected in the top line.

4. Click the right and left arrow buttons to cycle through the profile list until the Profile Frequency Indicators line up with the detected frequency profile.

5. Find the same contact on the Nav Map and enter the classification determined here using the contact’s right-click Contact Menu.

        Note: The Profile Library is more useful in Directional mode since contacts can be marked and the selected classification is applied to the selected contact at that time. In Directional mode the Frequency Indicators line up with the dots on the selected bearing. Click on a dot to select the frequencies on that bearing then click MARK. When the marks line up with the dots and you are satisfied with the selected classification, click MARK.

Directional Mode Data Directional mode requires one additional window, which must be set to 00 before Directional mode can be set. Directional Mode provides bearing information on detected frequencies. Click in the window to move the cursor to that location. The horizontal line indicates the bearing of the cursor location; dots indicate frequencies. The following display shows directional data and Library mode.

1. To mark the frequency detected on a specific bearing, click a dot in the window to move the cursor to that bearing location.

2. Click MARK to send the bearing data to the Nav Map. The contact symbol appears at a default range on the bearing marked. The assigned track number appears in the crew report and following the Channel number in the top row of the display window.

3. Click the LIBRARY button to access the Frequency Profile Library. Look for dots that line up under the Frequency Profile Indicators (carets) to identify the probable class of the contact.

Tip: You must click carefully to mark in directional mode. Listen for the crew to insure that the contact was actually marked.

Active Mode Data A DICASS sonobuoy set to active mode provides both bearing and range data on the detected contact. Two additional display windows are required to support a buoy in active mode.

1. Set a gram display window to a channel transmitting DICASS buoy data. (On the Nav Map the channel on which a buoy is transmitting appears next to its NTDS symbol and appears in the DDI when the buoy symbol is selected.)

2. Set two other display windows to Channel 00 (no buoy data). These are needed to support a buoy in active mode.

3. In the DICASS buoy gram, click the MODE button to cycle modes until ACTIVE is selected. The selected mode is seen in the top line of the display window following the buoy name. The two blank grams now show information indicating they are supporting the Gram set to Active mode.

Note: If a gram is in use supporting a gram in Directional or Active mode, its channel cannot be changed. Switch the Gram that is in Directional or Active mode to OMNI mode to free the supporting Grams for other purposes. If Acoustic Autocrew is ON, he will change your channel selections back to those of his own choosing.

RADAR STATION

In S.C.S. - Dangerous Waters the MH-60R’s radar detects both surface and air contacts. Its range depends on Ownship’s altitude. Marking contacts with the radar sends bearing and range data to the Nav Map.

 MAD/ESM STATION  

The magnetic and submarine anomaly detection recorder and the Electronic Support Measures (ESM) scope share the MAD/ESM station. The MAD/SAD Recorder provides for passive detection of submerged submarines. The ESM scope allows passive detection, marking and classification of surface and air contacts.

Large metal objects, like submarines, create disturbances in the earth’s magnetic field and these disturbances or anomalies, can be detected from above. The data from the Magnetic Anomaly Detector (MAD) and Submarine Anomaly Detector (SAD) are recorded in the top panel of this station. Distortions detected by these sensors provide a strong indication that a submarine is in the area. The MAD/SAD plot provides information only. There is no interaction.

The NOTIFY alert light is illuminated and a crew report (“MAD! MAD! MAD!”) is heard when the MAD sensor detects a contact. The contact is automatically marked on the Nav Map.

At an altitude of 500 feet, the sensor detects underwater contacts in the 500 feet directly beneath the helicopter. It also marks surface contacts in the immediate area.

The SAD sensor is similar to the MAD sensor but has a more limited range of around 750 yards.

SAD reports submerged contacts only.

ESM PANEL

The ESM sensor detects radio and radar transmissions from other ships and aircraft. These detections display as red wedges of varying size and intensity on the ESM scope. The position of the wedge indicates the bearing on which the transmission is detected. The ESM Panel consists of the following components.

Signal Strength Indicator: The light scale indicates the strength of the selected detection. Green lights indicating low signal strength, yellow a signal of medium strength, and red in the outer positions indicate a strong signal. A strong signal usually indicates a contact at close range.

BEARING: This field displays the exact bearing at the location of the cursor.

EMITTER: Displays the name of the detected emitter for the contact selected in the ESM Scope.

KNOWN CLASSES: A list of ship or air classes known to use an emitter of the detected type appears here.

 CLASSIFYING A CONTACT AT THE ESM CONSUL

The ESM sensor provides information on known classes that have the detected type of emitter. While it is not always possible to positively identify the class of the emitter in the ESM station, the Known Classes Library can help narrow the list of possible classes.

1. Click on a contact in the ESM scope to select it.

2. Click on a contact name in the Known Conatct List. You may need to scroll through a long list if many ship or air classes are known to use the same sensor.

3. With the class name selected, click MARK. The selected class name is assigned to the selected contact and on the Nav Map the 3D model for that class name appears when the NTDS symbol for the contact is selected on the Nav Map.

DIPPING SONAR  

The MH-60R carries the Airborne Low Frequency Sonar (ALFS) AN/AQS-22 dipping sonar. This system has a longer range than most dipping sensors in use by the U.S. Navy. The sensor can be operated in passive or active mode. In passive mode, frequency profile information is available to assist with contact classification.

Tip: You may want to launch a BT to determine the depth of the layer in the area to help determine how much of the cable to deploy.

Active Dipping Sonar

1. Once the dipping sonar is deployed as described above, click ACTIVE at the top of the Dipping Sonar station.

2. Click the button indicating the desired range scale at the right of the console.

3. Click the CONTINUOUS or SINGLE button to select the desired type of echo ranging transmission (ping.)

4. Click the TRANSMIT button. Contacts appear as larger or brighter dots against the noise.

5. Click a contact to select it with the cursor.

6. Click the MARK button to send the bearing and range of the selected contact to the Nav Map. The first time a contact is marked a track number is assigned, that number is updated with subsequent markings. Contacts detected with the Dipping Sonar in active mode appear on the Nav Map at the end of a green LOB.