Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!csd4.milw.wisc.edu!leah!bingvaxu!sunybcs!rutgers!att!cbnews!dfkling@june.cs.washington.edu
From: dfkling@june.cs.washington.edu (Dean F. Kling)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: Submarines and Drilling Platforms
Summary: Drilling  platforms vs sonar performance
Keywords: Bangor
Message-ID: <5798@cbnews.ATT.COM>
Date: 21 Apr 89 03:29:03 GMT
References: <5760@cbnews.ATT.COM>
Sender: military@cbnews.ATT.COM
Organization: U of Washington, Computer Science, Seattle
Lines: 40
Approved: military@att.att.com



From: dfkling@june.cs.washington.edu (Dean F. Kling)

In article <5760@cbnews.ATT.COM>, talon@blake.acs.washington.edu (Steve Hamblin) writes:
> From: talon@blake.acs.washington.edu (Steve Hamblin)
>
> Federal and State officals are considering the possible release of
> oil leases off the coast of the Olympic Penninsula in Washington
> State. This would lead to the placement of drilling platforms in
> the vicinity of the Straights of Juan de Fuca.
> 
> Submarines stationed at Bangor must travel through the Straights
> to get to the ocean.
> 
> [My question]
> 
> Do offshore drilling platforms provide a sonar "shadow" significant
> enough to hide a Soviet submarine?
> 
> If so, it would appear that we will be creating a nice set of
> listening stations for the Soviets to keep track of what we have
> going out to sea.
> 
> Does this raise any eyebrows?
> 
  Not really, for a couple of reasons.  Drilling platforms are like
any other loud point-source (e.g. merchants, trawlers, fish-processers
and the like) in the ocean, save they don't move around and can be
accurately charted.  A good skipper will consider their potential to 
shield himself or a potential adversary, they are just one more 
factor to consider when evaluating your passive sonar effectiveness.
  Also, the mouth of the Straight of Juan de Fuca is *big*, (even
considering the U.S. half).  The oil platforms would be dozens of
miles away.

				Dean F. Kling

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dfkling@cs.washington.edu