The Virtual Navy

Sonar Technicians are responsible for underwater surveillance. They assist in safe navigation and aid in search, rescue and attack operations. They operate and repair sonar equipment and jam enemy sonars. Sonar Technicians track underwater objects and repair antisubmarine warfare fire control equipment and underwater radiotelephones.

 Surface operate:

Sonar Technicians, Surface operate (manipulate, control, evaluate, and interpret data) surface sonar and other oceanographic systems; operate surface ship underwater fire control systems (with associated equipment) for the solution of antisubmarine warfare problems; perform organizational and intermediate maintenance on surface sonar and allied equipment

Submarine operate:

Sonar Technicians, Submarine operate (control, evaluate, and interpret data) submarine sonar, oceanographic equipment, and submarine auxiliary sonar; coordinate submarine sonar and underwater fire control interface; perform organizational and intermediate maintenance on submarine and allied equipment.

Sonar Technicians are separated into two categories, STG (Sonar Technician Surface) who are on surface ships and STS (Sonar Technician Submarine) who operate on submarines.

The following information is needed for the test: 1st group of info is for the Surface Operate, second group of info is for the Submarine Operate.

Surface Operate Information

 �� High-frequency contacts are not given contact numbers and do not appear in TMA. They appear as a Map Marker with the label HF Sonar Mark at the exact location of the detection.

Passive Mode Display

When passive mode is selected, detected broadband data appear as bright lines in a waterfall display in the Sonar Display Window. The cursor appears as a line above the waterfall. Contacts can be marked only; no trackers can be assigned in passive mode.

1. Click MODE then PASSIVE.

2. Click BACK. The only available VAB buttons are MARK and MODE.

3. Click on a contact line in the display window to move the cursor to that bearing. (Bearing shown is relative bearing.)

4. Click MARK to send the bearing data to the Nav Map and TMA Station.

5. Click MODE to return to the Mode Selection VAB Panel.

6. Click ACTIVE to return to the Active Mode Selection Panel.

�� Note: In heavy seas, you may notice gaps in noise in the Passive Display. These occur when the bow sonar breaks the surface of the water.

HULL SONAR DDI

The Hull Sonar DDI area of the VAB Panel provides the following information.

�� When High Frequency is selected, only cursor bearing is reported in the DDI. When the contact is marked, the range to the contact is displayed in the (cursor) Rng field.

�� When Passive Mode is selected only cursor bearing is available in the DDI when a contact line is clicked.

HULL SONAR MAIN VAB PANEL (ACTIVE MODE)

By default Active Mode Single Beam/Single Ping is selected in main VAB panel. Beam centering options are only available when Single Beam mode is selected. All other button options seen here are also available for Omni and Omni Rotational modes.

Hull Sonar Default (Main) VAB Panel: Active Mode

Shown above is the Active Mode Main VAB Panel with SINGLE BEAM selected by default. This default Active VAB panel is described below:

MODE: Click to display the Sonar Mode Selection VAB Panel. Here alternate sonar modes are selected (three active modes or the passive mode). If an active mode is selected, select a transmission mode: single or continuous pings.

�� Click the + or – to select the desired bearing then click XMIT.

�� Click in the Active Sonar Display to move the cursor to the desired bearing location.

�� Click CENTER ON CURSOR then click XMIT.

Selecting MODE In the Main VAB panel displays the SONAR Mode Selection VAB Panel used to select the desired sonar mode - Active or Passive - and the transmission intervals for Active Mode. Different VABs are activated depending on whether Active or Passive mode is selected.  

Sonar Mode Selection VAB Panel  

Sonar Mode Selection VABs: Active Options

The following buttons are available in the Sonar Mode Selection Panel when Active Mode is selected.

Active Mode Options

Active Transmission Interval Options

 NOTE: The selected transmission mode and interval type appear together in the top line of the DDI area.  

Sonar Mode Selection VABs: Passive Options

Only three buttons are active when Passive is selected:

PASSIVE MODE MAIN VAB PANEL

The only functionality in passive mode is the ability to mark contacts. When Passive is selected in the Sonar Mode Selection Panel, click BACK to access the Passive Mode Main VAB Panel. These two buttons are enabled.

FFG-7 Broadband Tag Summary

�� Note: Notice that two track numbers flash in this field when a track is marked. Because of the way the towed array processes signals, two track numbers are assigned when a Towed Array contact is marked. One number represents the bearing of the actual contact and the other an ambiguous (mirrored) bearing. The track numbers are consecutive and will continue to flash until you resolve the bearing ambiguity via the RESOLVE function. See Towed Array Broadband VAB Panel/Resolve later in this section.

Whiz-Wheel

FFG Broadband Waterfall Displays

Marking Contacts in Towed Array: Broadband

�� To mark a contact (tag), select the tag number in the Tag Summary or click on a trace line in the waterfall then click MARK in the VAB Panel. (Clicking ATF also marks the contact but also assigns an Automatic Tag Follower.)

�� Two consecutive track numbers are assigned and appear in the Tag Summary. One number indicates the actual bearing to the contact and the other the bearing to the ambiguous contact. Contacts marked by Ownship sensors are assigned four-digit track numbers. Both of the assigned four-digit track numbers appear in the Tag Summary in the TRACK column. The two consecutive numbers alternate in the track column until the contact ambiguity is resolved.

�� Note: When contacts are very close to OS the bearing may seem off if measured from Ownship on the Nav Map or the TMA Plot. Remember that the towed array is dragged a mile behind the ship and the bearing is measured from the towed array, not the ship.

1. Click the tag summary of the desired frequency tag or click on the tag marker (short line) associated with the desired contact trace in the waterfall display to select it.

2. Click ASSIGN ATF. An asterisk appears next to the tag number in the Tag Summary and the assigned track numbers flash beside the tag marker in the waterfall. The two numbers are the track numbers for the real and ambiguous bearings associated with that detection. These track numbers are seen on the Nav Map next to the unknown/unknown symbols generated at the end of magenta colored lines of bearing. The track numbers associated with the marked contact also flash in the TRACK field in the Tag Summary.

3. If all eight ATFs are already assigned, the oldest assigned ATF is dropped to free the follower for a new assignment.

4. To un-assign an ATF, click the track number in the waterfall and drag the number out of the waterfall.

Towed Array Broadband DDI

Towed Array Broadband VAB PANEL

�� Note: The Towed Array reports a contact bearing as well as its mirror image. The mirror image is called the ambiguous contact or bearing. Your task is to resolve the ambiguity and determine which bearing is the true one. Once you determine which bearing report represents the true contact, designate the contact on the appropriate side of the towed array as the true contact using the RESOLVE feature.

Determining a Contact’s Speed using DEMON:

1. Classify the contact and look up the USNI information for that ship class. Make a mental note of the TPK information listed in the text file.

2. Click DEMON in the Towed ARRAY Broadband Station to access the Demon Processing Controls.

3. Place the cursor on the desired contact line in the Waterfall. The system automatically determines the required frequency information and places it in the FRQ field in the DEMON DDI.

4. Click TPK + and TPK - until the TPK number noted in USNI for the class appears in the TPK field.

5. When the number is entered the number listed in the SPD field in the DEMON DDI is the approximate speed of the contact, given that your classification is correct and you have selected the correct contact in the waterfall. Enter that speed in speed entry at the TMA Station for the appropriate contact

�� Hold the cursor over a frequency signal to show that frequency in the LOFAR SUMMARY DDI. Click in a display to note the tag numbers assigned to the detected frequencies seen there.

�� Click a beam waterfall display to select it; the beam is highlighted to indicate its selection. Click SINGLE BEAM to view the selected beam in Single Beam All Band display mode. The tag numbers of each frequency appears above the waterfall lines.

�� Double click on a beam display to switch to the Single Beam All Band display mode with that beam selected or select the beam and click SINGLE BEAM.

LOFAR Search DDI

 FFG Towed Array – Single Beam

Frequency Profile Library

�� Note: The tag must be marked and a trace line must be selected in the Single Beam display before a class can be successfully applied.

Classifying a Contact with the Frequency Profile Library

1. Click on a contact (frequency line) to select it. The vertical cursor line appears below the contact in the waterfall display.

2. Click MARK to assign a track number to the selected contact and send data to the Nav Map and the TMA station.

3. Click FILTER to weed out all but the profiles that most closely match the currently detected frequencies. Carets at the bottom of a display window represent the frequencies that make up the sound profile of the selected class.

4. Click in the Library list then press up and down keyboard arrow keys to scroll through the list of profiles. Note the location of the carets in the display window as each profile is selected.

5. Compare the location of the carets with the trace lines of the detected contact. When the carets line up exactly with the detected frequencies in the display windows, it is likely that the detected contact is of the class selected in the profile library. (Beware that some classes have very similar profiles so the process is not 100% foolproof.)

6. Click on a trace line to select it. A short line cursor appears under the trace indicating it is selected.

7. Click APPLY to assign the class of the currently selected profile to the selected contact. The class name appears in the DDI when the contact is selected on the Nav Map. The appropriate 3D model is also used in the 3D view whenever the contact is selected.

 FFG Towed Array - Single Beam Profile Library

SUBMARINE OPERATE INFORMATION:

SONAR STATIONS

688(I) BROADBAND SONAR (PBB)

�� Note: UUV sonar contacts also have S designations, but their data is not reported in the Sonar Suite. UUV data is available in TMA and on the Nav and Fire Control Maps.

688(I): Broadband Waterfall Displays

The 688(I) uses dual waterfall displays to track sonar information. In the waterfall display, sonar information "cascades" down over time giving a sense of the contact’s movement. Bearing is displayed on the horizontal axis with either north (000) or south (180) in the center. Time is displayed on the vertical axis, with the most recent information at the top.

Contacts appear as green lines in the waterfall. A faint green line represents a weak contact while a strong contact appears as a brighter, thicker line. The speckled background represents background noise interference. The amount of interference increases as background noise increases. The thin green line beneath the "��"indicator indicates the direction your submarine’s stern is pointing (your "baffles" for your hull and spherical array.)

Both the upper and lower waterfall displays show broadband sonar data. It is a good idea to have one display set on Short Time Average (1–60 seconds) and the other on Intermediate (0–30 minutes) or Long Time Average (0–2 hours). The longer the time averaging that is employed the better the sonar detection processing. However, the longer the time averaging, the longer the time between updates. Both the spherical sensor and the towed array pick up broadband data. The information displayed depends on which sensor is selected.  

Ship speed greatly interferes with the ability of the sensors to detect and display contacts. Excessive speed results in the inability to detect any contacts at all. Only background noise is visible.

Assigning Trackers in Broadband

1. Click the desired array on the submarine outline in the SELECTED ARRAY panel to display data from that sensor in the broadband waterfall display.

2. When a contact appears in the waterfall click on it to select it. A vertical cursor appears over the contact in the bearing indicator. You can click and drag this cursor along the bearing indicator.

3. Click DESIGNATE TARGET to designate the target and assign a tracker. (If the signal is faint, you may have to click more than once.) 

 A tracker letter is placed above the contact line. Four trackers are available for each sonar array.

 

A, B, C, and D: Spherical contacts.

E, F, G, and H: Hull contacts. (These trackers can only be assigned in Narrowband)

I, J, K, and L: Towed array contacts.

 

If the spherical array already has four contacts assigned to trackers (A-D) and you designate a new contact, the oldest tracker is unassigned from its current contact and reassigned to the new contact. This behavior is also true for the hull and towed arrays. To unassign a specific tracker, click on the letter and drag it into the waterfall display and release it.

Each contact you designate is assigned a sequential Sierra number: S01, S02, S03, etc. The Sierra number, also called a Contact ID or Track ID, and all available data on the contact are automatically sent to TMA and the Nav Map.

Towed Array Contacts

If the towed array is not already deployed at mission start, stream it from the Ship Control Station [F1]. No towed array contacts appear if the towed array is not streamed. Be aware that towed array contacts do not appear immediately when you deploy the array

Because of the way the physics of the towed array construction, an ambiguous contact, a mirror image of each true contact, appears on the display along with the true contact. If you have a contact at the same bearing on your bow array, you can be fairly certain a contact at a bearing on your towed array display is on contact’s true bearing.

If the contact is not visible on another array, changing the course of Ownship allows you to determine which bearing is the actual and which is its mirror image on the display. After you maneuver, one contact remains at  a consistent bearing and one appears to move in the display. The contact’s true bearing is that of the contact that remains constant.

When numerous contacts are present or the contacts are close together, this process can be very challenging!

Note: Be aware that when you turn Ownship your towed array does not begin to turn until it reaches the point in the ocean where the ship began its turn. As a result, Ownship appears as a contact on the towed array during turns.

Broadband Controls Panel

The buttons and switches of the 688(I)’s Broadband Controls Panel are described here:

Sonar Navigation Buttons: Click the icon button of the sonar station you want to visit. Hold your cursor over a button to display the name of the station it represents.

AUDIO: When ON, a cursor placed on a sonar contact emits the sound produced by the contact. When OFF, no sound is emitted.

NORTH CENTER: Click to center the waterfall display at 000 degrees.

SOUTH CENTER: Click to center the waterfall display at 180 degrees.

TIME AVERAGE (Upper Waterfall): Click the desired text (SHORT, INTERMEDIATE or LONG) to select the time average setting for the upper waterfall display.

TRACK ID: Displays the alphanumeric Track ID (also called the Contact ID in this manual) of the selected track.

DESIGNATE TARGET: To place a tracker on a contact and assign a Track ID click the contact in the waterfall display then click Designate Target. A Track ID number (S01, S02, S03, etc.) is assigned to the contact and the sensor data is sent to TMA and the Nav Map.

TRACKER REVIEW: Click to cycle through all assigned trackers for the selected array. The Track ID is displayed in the Track ID field.

CURSOR POSITION: Indicates the bearing at the location of the vertical cursor in the Bearing Indicator section of the waterfall display or cursor location of the tracker when a tracker is selected with the Tracker Review button.

TIME AVERAGE (Lower Waterfall): Click the desired text (SHORT, INTERMEDIATE or LONG) to select the time average setting for the lower waterfall display.

SELECT ARRAY: The two buttons represent the spherical array (in the bow) or the towed array (aft). Click the desired button to display that sensor’s input in the waterfall display. 

 NARROWBAND SONAR (PNB)

Each ship class has a unique sound frequency signature. The Narrowband function is used to classify sonar contacts by comparing the frequency signature of the selected contact against a database of known frequency signatures.

The ship’s computer narrows your search by presenting only those signatures that have similarities to the signature of the selected contact.

 Narrowband Displays

NARROWBAND SEARCH: Signals from the selected array display in an A-scan format on the Narrowband Search Display. A contact’s signal displays as a spike at the bearing where it is detected. The height of the spike represents signal strength. High peaks indicate strong signal strength. Click the peak of a contact to select the contact and display its profile in the Narrowband waterfall display.

�� Note: Ownship’s speed can affect your ability to detect contacts in Narrowband Search. When the entire signal line is near the top of the display this indicates that background noise is very high. This usually happens when ship’s speed is over 5 knots for hull array contacts or over 15 knots for towed array contacts. Decrease your speed to reduce water flow over the array.

The right side of the Narrowband station contains the following buttons and functionality.

Sonar Navigation Buttons: Click the desired button to switch to that station in the 688(I)’s Sonar Suite.

FREQUENCY SCALE: Click the desired number to switch to that frequency range in the waterfall display.

FREQUENCY: Click the desired line in the Narrowband Waterfall display. The cursor moves to that location in the frequency indicator.

CURSOR POSITION: Click in Narrowband Search to display the precise bearing at that location.

TRACK ID: The alphanumeric Track ID (also called Contact ID) displays in the Track ID window when a tracker is designated in the Waterfall Display.

TRACKER REVIEW: Click to cycle through any Track IDs that are assigned Trackers for the selected array. The cursor jumps to that contact

DESIGNATE TARGET: Click to assign a Target ID (Track ID) and tracker to the contact line selected in the Narrowband Waterfall Display.

Designating Tracks/Assigning Trackers in PNB

1. Find a contact in the Narrowband Search Display and click on the peak of the contact. When a contact is selected lines indicating detected frequencies appear in the Narrowband Waterfall Display.

2. Click one of the vertical frequency lines in the Narrowband Waterfall Display. The vertical cursor appears on the bearing indicator at the location of the line.

3. Click DESIGNATE TARGET. A tracker letter appears on the bearing indicator, and an alphanumeric tag appears in the TRACK ID window. Tracking data is sent automatically to TMA. Assigning a tracker here may un-assign a tracker from a contact in broadband if all trackers are currently assigned. 

�� Note: If the signal is weak you may have to click more than once to designate the contact and assign the tracker. You cannot assign a tracker while the game is paused.

PROFILE: The ship’s computer compares the sonar signature in the Narrowband Waterfall display against those in its sound profile database. Only those signatures that are similar to that of the selected contact are presented for review when FILTER ON is selected.

�� Click the PREV/NEXT rocker switch to view the signature profiles. If FILTER ON is selected, only ships or weapons that have a profile similar to that of the selected contact are available. All platforms and weapons in the game are available for review if FILTER OFF is selected.

CLASSIFICATION: This window displays the name of the class or weapon selected with the PROFILE selector. The sound signature profile of the class name selected here appears in the Ship Classification Display.

NORTH CENTER: Click to place bearing 000 at the center of the Narrowband Search Display.

SOUTH CENTER: Click to place bearing 180 at the center of the Narrowband Search Display.

SELECTED ARRAY: Click the appropriate button to display data from the selected array in the Narrowband Search. The button in the bow of the sub outline represents the Spherical array, the button in the middle in represents the Hull array, and the aft button represents the Towed array.

�� Note: The towed array must be deployed before any towed array signals can be detected.

Classifying Contacts In Narrowband

1. Select a contact in the Narrowband Search window by clicking on the highest point of the peak. Detected frequencies appear in the Narrowband Waterfall.

2. Set the filter toggle to FILTER ON below the Classification field.

3. Click NEXT or PREVIOUS to select a class or weapon name in the Classification field and view its sound signature profile in the Ship Classification window.

4. Compare the frequencies of the selected contact in the Narrowband Waterfall Display to those of the class selected in the Ship Classification window. Adjust the frequency range to better see distinct ranges.

5. When you decide which ship’s signature best matches that of the selected contact, simply leave that class name selected in the Classification window, and click Designate Target. The name showing in the Classification field is assigned to the contact in the Nav Map.  

You must still assign an alliance ID and a level of confidence from the Nav Map using the right-click Contact Menu>Classify Contact… option.

DEMON SONAR STATION

DEMON is an acronym for Demodulated Noise. The DEMON function is used primarily to determine a contact’s speed. This is important information when establishing an accurate firing solution. Once contact speed is determined at the DEMON Station the value can be entered in the speed field in the TMA trial solution field for the appropriate contact.

The main component of the DEMON Station is the DEMON Waterfall Display. The waterfall display separates the selected signal into demodulated components. On the display, the horizontal axis represents frequency and the vertical axis represents time. When a contact is selected its signal appears as parallel vertical lines in the waterfall. The lines represent sound generated by the contact’s propeller blades.

To determine a contact’s speed accurately you must have classified the contact in Narrowband, ESM or Periscope. The number of turns per knot (TPK) produced by a specific class is listed in the USNI Information for that class. The steps for using DEMON to determine a contact’s speed and how to use DEMON to determine a contact’s type are shown below. The DEMON Station Interface and button description for each sub class follows the instructions.

Using DEMON to Calculate Speed

1. First determine the class of the contact in Narrowband, ESM or the Stadimeter. In the USNI Browser, find the entry for the ship or sub’s class and make note of the turns per knot number listed in the TPK field.  

2. Ensure that there is a tracker assigned to the desired contact in Broadband sonar.

3. In SELECTED ARRAY click the desired sensor button in the submarine outline. The button on the bow of the outline selects the Bow Array. The aft button selects the Towed Array.

 

4. Under AVAILABLE TRACKERS click the button associated with the desired track ID. As long as the tracker is still tracking lines appear in the waterfall display. 

 Note: If the game is paused, no lines appear in the waterfall display.

 

5. If necessary, adjust the frequency to better view the signal. If the lines in the display seem to blur together, switch to a lower frequency range. If the lines run off the right edge of the display, increase the frequency range. To adjust the frequency range, click the desired number in the FREQUENCY SCALE switch.

 

 

6. Determine the Turns per Knot (TPK) for the contact by looking up the U.S. Naval Institute Reference entry for the known platform class.

 

 

7. Place the waterfall cursor over the line farthest left.

 

 

8. Click the + or - toggle in the Turns Per Knot panel to set the desired value for the known contact as determined in USNI Reference. The speed of the target appears in the SPEED field below the buttons.

 

 

9. When you have determined the speed of the contact, enter that speed in the TMA SPEED field for the selected contact on the TMA Station.

 

Using DEMON to Determine Category

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Warships: Typically four or five-bladed propellers; quieter, smoother sound than merchant ships; possibly unpredictable course changes.

Submarines: Five, six or seven-bladed propellers; very quiet when submerged and at low speed; unpredictable course changes.

 

Fishing Vessels/Trawlers/Pleasure Craft: Three- or four-bladed propellers; noisy; erratic courses and speeds, frequently stopping and starting.

 

ACTIVE SONAR STATION

Active sonar should be used only when absolutely necessary since it provides the enemy with a wealth of information. S.C.S. - Dangerous Waters models both medium and high frequency active sonar for the 688(I) class submarines

Medium Frequency (MF) Active Sonar

The bow array in active mode is used to detect and track contacts. Echoes from a single ping or a series of pings are used to determine an object’s bearing and range. Information from a medium frequency active search is sent to the TMA station for use in plotting a firing solution for the given contact. While this information is very useful to you, it comes at a price. Using active sonar gives away your bearing and alerts any ship in the area to your presence. The ship may well assume you have hostile intentions since active sonar is used primarily for targeting.

MF Active Sonar Display

In the 688(I) ‘s rectangular Active Sonar Display, the area at the bottom of the display represents objects closest to your ship. The horizontal line at the top represents bearing. The display updates from the bottom up. In continuous mode each subsequent ping replaces the oldest data with the newest.

The display shows the results of active sonar echo ranging. Speckled areas represent echoes from the ocean background, reverberation, in general. The area of blank space represents the area behind your ship, active sonar baffles. Since the signals transmitted from your bow array cannot reach the area behind your ship, no echoes are returned from that area.

The Bearing-Range Cursor: The cursor in the active display consists of a square attached to a vertical line that indicates a specific bearing. The distance of the cursor from the bottom of the display represents its range from Ownship. The position of the vertical line on the Bearing Indicator represents the bearing of the cursor. To move the cursor, click the desired location on the display.

Marking Tracks with MF Active Sonar

1. Click the number of the desired range on the Range Scale (KYDS) selector. Longer ranges are appropriate for the initial search. Once a contact is detected, you can adjust the range scale of subsequent transmissions to improve the accuracy.

2. Selecting a new range halts continuous transmissions. You must click transmit again to resume transmissions.

3. Click NORTH CENTERED or SOUTH CENTERED to center the display on a bearing of either 000 or 180 degrees.

4. In ECHO RANGING select SINGLE or CONTINUOUS pings. If Single is selected, only one active sonar ping is transmitted. When Continuous is chosen, active sonar pings are transmitted at a set interval until the switch is reset to Single or you change the range scale.

5. Click TRANSMIT to send transmissions of the selected type with the toggle switch. 

�� Note: To stop the transmission of continuous pings, click again on the TRANSMIT button.

�� A valid contact gives consistent visual returns that are brighter than background noise or reverberations. The audio return will have a distinctive metallic ring to it and will be distinguishable from the background noise.

6. Click on a contact to select it with the Bearing-Range cursor or click and drag the cursor to center it on the contact. The contact’s range and bearing display in the RANGE/BEARING panel. Range is in yards.

7. Click MARK to assign an alphanumeric Track ID to the selected contact. Once a selected contact has been marked once, select it and click MARK again to send an update of the contact’s range and bearing to TMA and the Nav Map. The NTDS symbol for contacts marked with Active Sonar appear on the Nav Map on the detected bearing and at the detected range at the end of a green line of bearing (LOB)

�� Note: The bow array has only four trackers. If you have all four trackers assigned in Broadband or Narrowband and designate a target in Active Sonar, the oldest tracker is removed from a Broadband or Narrowband contact for use in Active.

  High Frequency Active Sonar (HFAS)

High Frequency Active Sonar (HFAS) has a shorter range and can detect smaller objects than medium frequency active sonar. When you must navigate a minefield, HFAS can be used to locate and mark mines near your ship. Once a mine is located, maneuver quickly to avoid it by the largest possible margin. Driving slowly provides the best reaction time. Marking the mines helps you keep track of the location of the mines should you need to traverse the field again when you leave the area.

In S.C.S. - Dangerous Waters, the High Frequency Sonar screen shows the location of any object near your submarine’s bow. If an object is close enough, clicking on it designates it and any other object detected by the sonar as a HF sonar contact on the Nav Map. The 688(I)’s High Frequency sonar interface is located on the Ship Control Station. The 688(I) also has an Ice Thickness detector accessible from the Periscope Station. See 688(I) Stations/688(I) Periscope-Stadimeter Stations/Ice Thickness Indicator for information for more information.

To View and Mark Contacts with High Frequency Sonar

1. Press [F1] or select the Ship Control Station from the pop-up Stations Menu to move to the Ship Control Station.

�� The HFAS system is located in the center portion of the station. The toggle switch activates the High Frequency Sonar System (HFSS), which is used to detect small objects and ice keels at short range.

�� Note: To locate a polynya, an area of thin ice or open water, during under ice operations it is necessary to use the Ice Thickness indicator accessible from the Periscope Station.

2. Click ON to activate the High Frequency Sonar,

3. Click the HFAS Display to place a marker on the Nav Map for all contacts detected by the sensor. No Track IDs are assigned to HFAS contacts and no information is sent to TMA. But these marks on the Nav Map are very useful for navigating and returning back through a minefield.

ACTIVE INTERCEPT SONAR STATION

The Active Intercept function alerts you to the presence of active sonar transmissions from another ship, sub, dipping sonar or sonobuoy in the area. It provides the bearing of the transmitting entity as well as the frequency of the detected emission, the age of the last signal and the strength of the signal. Knowing the signal strength can assist you in determining the relative proximity of the active sonar source.

When Active Intercept detects an active sonar ping, a line is seen on the True Bearing Indicator display on the bearing of the contact. The strength of the signal is represented as a continuum of colored lights directly below the display that move from green to red as the signal grows in strength.

The Active Intercept Station is made up of the following components:

TRUE BEARING INDICATOR: A line from the center of this circular display to its outer edge indicates the bearing of an intercepted  

intercepted signal. Thicker lines indicate a strong signal. A triangular cursor is used to select a signal on a specific bearing.

The Sound Speed Profile (SSP) Station displays the speed at which sound is transmitted at various water depths in the area around Ownship. Ocean water typically forms distinct layers of density that can profoundly affect sonar transmissions. Warmer, less dense water forms the upper surface duct—below this, temperatures fall off sharply and density increases. The effect of this process is sound generated in one layer doesn’t tend to transmit easily to the other layer, and vice versa. At the beginning of any mission, always check the depth at which the surface duct separates from the lower thermal. (See Training/Sonar School/Underwater Sound Propagation for more information on thermal layers.)

The Sound Speed Profile is created from information returned from an Expendable Bathythermograph (XBT) probe. When launched, the probe reports depth and sound speed information in both graph and table form.

Launching an XBT probe

 The results of the last XBT probe are visible in the display window and on the clipboard when the SSP station is first entered.

�� Click the XBT button. The previous results are cleared from the display and the clipboard when a new XBT is launched.

�� Updated information does not appear instantly on the screen. The XBT probe rises to the surface and then descends before it begins reporting. This may result in a delay before the SSP updates. The layer depth is noted at the bottom of the clipboard.

�� Depth scale cannot be changed in the 688(I) SSP graph.

�� Note: Due to varying water temperatures at locations around the world, a distinct thermal layer is not always present. The mission designer designates the type of layer for the mission.

 UUV SONAR

In S.C.S. - Dangerous Waters all submarines are given Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs). These UUVs act as remote sonar sensors. Merging TMA bearing information provided by a remote sensor with data from your ship’ sensors can provide a fairly accurate assessment of the range to a contact. UUVs are particularly useful when navigating a minefield and can be operated in Passive or Active mode.

The UUV itself appears as a contact in the Broadband and Narrowband Displays but UUV sonar returns are not viewed in the Sonar Suite. UUV sonar contacts display on the Nav and Fire Control maps and in TMA.

UUVs are launched from the Fire Control Station and are wire-guided like torpedoes from there. See 688(I) Stations/688(I) Fire Control Suite/Deploying and Wire-Guiding UUVs for complete information.

RADAR STATION

Submarine radar should be used with caution and only when the situation mandates its use. When you use radar you communicate your presence, your bearing, your proximity and who you are if the other platform is equipped with EW or ESM equipment.

MARKING CONTACTS WITH RADAR

1. Ensure that Ownship is at 54 feet or less and moving at 8 knots or less if the sail is submerged.

2. Click RAISE in the RADAR MAST Panel in the upper right of the station to raise the mast. The RADAR READY light glows continuously when the radar mast is extended and radiating.

3. Set RANGE SCALE as desired and set the RANGE RING toggle switch to ON if range rings are desired on the radar display.

4. Contacts show up as brighter orange spots on the display. Click on a contact to select it with the Bearing-Range Cursor or click and drag the cursor to center it on a contact.

5. Click MARK to send the contact’s bearing and range to TMA and the Nav Map.

�� Note: Radiating while the radar is submerged destroys your radar.

RADIO-ESM STATION

In S.C.S. - Dangerous Waters the Radio Room and the ESM (Electronic Support Measures) stations are combined. The radio is used to receive message traffic and send position updates while underway. The ESM console allows you to detect and classify contacts when the ESM mast is ext

1.  
   1. �� Single player mode: If another Ownside platform in the mission is a submarine, you must both be at comms depth with a mast or the antenna deployed before you see him as part of your Link Data. Since it is unlikely that these conditions will be met, you may never see an Ownside sub in your Link download.

   2. �� Multiplayer mode: If another Ownside sub is player driven, you both must be at comms depth with the radio mast extended at the same time before you will see each other. If you have your radio mast extended and he has his floating wire out, he will see you but you will not see him. The radio mast is needed to transmit position data.

   1. 4. After the desired information has been received, click LOWER to lower the Radio Mast or RETRIEVE to retrieve the streaming wire.

      1. �� Note: Radio message text also appears in the Radio History Window on the Task Bar. When a new message is received, the radio history selection button (the green square) on the Task Bar flashes until the button is selected. You can raise and lower the radio mast from the Task Bar’s Orders Menu from any screen provided you are at a safe depth and speed.

   2. PROMOTING CONTACTS TO THE LINK

Section 13: 688(I) Stations 13-27

are not automatically shared with the Link participants as theirs are shared with you in single player games.)

During Multiplayer games, contacts detected by Ownside platforms controlled by other players do not share data across the link automatically as the AI. Ownside platforms do. Part of your task in Multiplayer games is to promote your contacts to the Link so that other Ownside Link players can see your contacts. Other players must promote their contacts before you are able to see them on the Nav Map. You are only able to see them when Show Link Data is on.

Just as you must raise your radio antenna or float the wire to download Link updates, you must also come to comms depth and raise the radio mast before you can to promote your contacts to the Link.

1. 1. Come to comms depth (63 ft) and raise the radio antenna.

2. 2. From the Nav Map, select the contact you want to promote. From its Contact Menu (right-click menu) classify the contact as surface or subsurface if known and apply any alliance or class information that you have to the contact.

3. 3. If possible, determine an accurate firing solution and enter it at the TMA station.

4. 4. From the Contact Menu select Promote to Link. In the DDI a new field appears labeled "Promoted". This field displays the time in the mission at which you promoted the contact to the Link.

   1. �� The contact’s symbol appears on the Nav Map of all players in a multiplayer game that are part of Ownside and have access to the Link. A 4-digit track ID is assigned based on your Platform ID. This 4-digit number is seen in parentheses following the time of promotion in the "Promoted" field. In single player games, AI platforms attack contacts that you have promoted as hostile. The AI investigates contacts promoted as Unknown. See Navigation Station/2D Navigation Map/Contact Menu/Promoting a Contact to Link for full information on promoting a contact to Link.

The upper portion of the Radio-ESM console represents the Radio Room. Here messages containing important intelligence and tasking information are received and contact positions are downloaded from any platforms in the mission that are part of your Link network.

When your submarine starts a mission submerged, you see no Link data on the Nav Map even though Show Link Data is on by default. To determine if there are Ownside platforms (members of the Link) in your area you must come to communications depth (comms depth) and follow the steps below. When Link information is downloaded, any surface and air Link participants and any contacts they have detected appear on the Nav Map. You may never see the symbol for any submerged Link participant that is in the mission since he must be at comms depth with his mast extended at the same time you are downloading data for you to see him

RECEIVING RADIO MESSAGES AND LINK DATA

 To receive messages you must come to Communications Depth (Comms Depth) and raise the radio mast or stream the floating wire antenna. There are advantages and disadvantages to both modes. The radio mast receives messages more quickly but exposing the mast leaves you vulnerable to detection. The floating wire receives messages far more slowly but you do not need to expose a mast to receive messages. Follow these instructions to deploy the radio mast or floating wire.

1. Select either the floating wire antenna or the radio antenna mast to receive the message.

 Radio Mast: Take the ship to 63 ft and set ship speed to 10 knots or less when the sail is submerged to avoid damaging the mast when it is  

1. Come to comms depth (63 ft) and raise the radio antenna.

2. From the Nav Map, select the contact you want to promote. From its Contact Menu (right-click menu) classify the contact as surface or subsurface if known and apply any alliance or class information that you have to the contact.

3. If possible, determine an accurate firing solution and enter it at the TMA station.

4. From the Contact Menu select Promote to Link. In the DDI a new field appears labeled "Promoted". This field displays the time in the mission at which you promoted the contact to the Link.

�� The contact’s symbol appears on the Nav Map of all players in a multiplayer game that are part of Ownside and have access to the Link. A 4-digit track ID is assigned based on your Platform ID. This 4-digit number is seen in parentheses following the time of promotion in the "Promoted" field. In single player games, AI platforms attack contacts that you have promoted as hostile. The AI investigates contacts promoted as Unknown. See Navigation Station/2D Navigation Map/Contact Menu/Promoting a Contact to Link for full information on promoting a contact to Link.  

�� Single player mode: If another Ownside platform

Streaming Wire: You do not have to come to Comms Depth but it helps to be fairly near the surface. Set ship’s speed to 18 knots or less to avoid damaging the wire. Slower speeds allow the wire to float up more quickly. If speed exceeds 5 knots, the wire may never reach the surface of the water. Make sure the wire is streamed to at least half of its length in order to ensure message reception. In the Streaming Wire panel click STREAM. The readout below the switch indicates the length of the wire that is currently deployed. Click STOP when the desired length has been deployed.

Look at the message screen for incoming messages. A scroll bar appears in the message window if there are more messages than can be displayed at one time. The newest message traffic is always at the bottom of the scrolling text. Message traffic may not appear immediately. When a message is received, the INCOMING MESSAGE light glows briefly.

 Look on the Nav Map if you are waiting for Link data to determine when the information has been downloaded.  

 After the desired information has been received, click LOWER to lower the Radio Mast or RETRIEVE to retrieve the streaming wire.

�� Note: Radio message text also appears in the Radio History Window on the Task Bar. When a new message is received, the radio history selection button (the green square) on the Task Bar flashes until the button is selected. You can raise and lower the radio mast from the Task Bar’s Orders Menu from any screen provided you are at a safe depth and speed.

 PROMOTING CONTACTS TO THE LINK

During Multiplayer games, contacts detected by Ownside platforms controlled by other players do not share data across the link automatically as the AI. Ownside platforms do. Part of your task in Multiplayer games is to promote your contacts to the Link so that other Ownside Link players can see your contacts. Other players must promote their contacts before you are able to see them on the Nav Map. You are only able to see them when Show Link Data is on.

Just as you must raise your radio antenna or float the wire to download Link updates, you must also come to comms depth and raise the radio mast before you can to promote your contacts to the Link.

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