• Air and Missile Defense
• Biomedicine
• Civilian Space
• Cyber Operations
• Homeland Protection
• National Security Analysis
• National Security Space
• Precision Engagement
• Research and Exploratory Development
• Special Operations
• Strategic Systems
• Undersea Warfare
  • Overview
  • Expertise
  • Program Areas
    • Anti-Submarine Warfare
    • Maritime ISR
    • Security and Survivability
  • Facilities
• Sample Programs
• Selected Facilities
• JHU Collaborative Projects
• APL Technical Digest
• Govt. Employee Fellowship Program

Program Areas

Maritime ISR

The Maritime Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) area develops complex, innovative maritime systems for a variety of Navy sponsors. Many are designed to collect data from special operations involving deployed submarines. These tasks draw heavily on acoustic and other sensing technologies as well as the science and engineering associated with conducting ultra-precise navigation. Along with developing sensors and data-collection tools, APL supports system testing, installation, maintenance, and user training.

We are helping the Navy develop integrated distributed systems and developing advanced sensor and signal processing techniques by exploiting rapidly developing technologies associated with autonomous sensors. In addition, we are working to establish the physical understanding, technology, and prototype systems for assuring future ocean and port security against potentially emerging threats.

The tasks included under the Maritime ISR component represent an array of critical engineering challenges that must be overcome. We develop suites of sensors that must be rugged enough to operate in a wide spectrum of hostile ocean conditions. We provide passive submarine navigation and decision aids, specialized submerged sensor operation without ready access to adjustment or repair, and integrated, turn-key ocean data collection.

APL has 38 years of experience in producing maritime sensor and data-collection systems for acquiring specialized ocean data. These systems have covered a wide spectrum of technologies, including acoustics bottom bathymetry, precision navigation, submerged depth control, ocean contaminant measurement associated with unmanned vehicles, and integrated data-collection storage.

We work with our Navy sponsors to take advantage of commercial technology developments within the civilian ocean engineering business. When the technology is not available in the commercial sector, the Maritime ISR area develops needed special-purpose technologies in our own facilities. Through our Independent Research and Development program, we support early-stage technology developments to mature the technology to a state of operational transition. The Maritime ISR area also collaborates with APL’s Milton Eisenhower Research Center to advance the state of those technologies necessary to operate in the ocean environment.

For more information, contact Christopher R. Watkins.