Master buoy system for acoustic array deployment, using underwater glide bodies remotely launched from a submerged pod

摘要

A method and apparatus deploys a hydrophone array in a predetermined pattern. A master buoy includes a float and an anchor which hold a central portion at a predetermined depth in the water. A number of hydrodynamically shaped glide vehicles are disengaged from the central portion and glide radially outwardly from it. When the glide vehicles come to rest, strings of hydrophones are released and buoyed from the bottom in a preestablished pattern. Acoustic energy impinging on the hydrophones, optionally is fed to a transmitting unit on the float or to a remote installation via a cable lying on the bottom.