Extended range for underwater threat detection
The Scylla loudhailer is seen in the foreground, with Sentinel heads in alu-bronze (left) and standard behind.
Hampshire UK based Sonardyne International Ltd has completed a programme of trials that has resulted in several new specification changes to its Sentinel Intruder Detection Sonar (IDS) system.
When a diver reaches a pre-set distance from a protected asset, for example a yacht or port entrance, Scylla automatically transmits a pre-recorded audio message through the water to deter the would be intruder. Should the warning be ignored, further staged messages can be played. Live messages can also be broadcast allowing security personnel to respond to any situation unfolding before them.
Due to its small size, light weight and ease of set up, Sentinel has proved itself in service as the ideal portable tool for expeditionary use. Sentinel’s operational flexibility has now been further extended with the availability of a new aluminium-bronze housing designed for permanent deployment and also a complete range of modular deployment systems for jetty and shore installations.
The corrosion resistance properties of aluminium-bronze are well known to Sonardyne as the company’s range of vessel based acoustic positioning transceivers are made of the same material and withstand years of continuous deployment in all waters. Offered as a no cost option to prospective customers, the first Sentinel sonar with the new housing was shipped to an end user last month.
Commenting on the new enhancements, Dr Graham Brown, director of engineering on the Sentinel programme said, ‘Sentinel had been described as the best expeditionary system on the market and with these upgrades we have also made it the best for permanent installations whilst managing to retain the attributes that have made it the market leader. Very low power requirements and an open architecture approach enable simple integration resulting in dramatically lower infrastructure costs when compared with older generation intruder sonars.’
Utilising innovative composite arrays, electronic design and software algorithms, Sentinel’s sonar head consumes no more power than the average light bulb and operates at considerably lower source levels than more generic hybrid systems, thereby minimising the potential impact upon marine life. More than 20 systems have now been ordered for a diverse range of maritime security applications.
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