Synthetic aperture sonar for understanding what goes on beneath the waves.
Developed in the 1950s, synthetic aperture radar mounted on reconnaissance aircraft provided the U.S. Military with imagery that was stunning in its detail. Twenty years later, this concept was applied to a new generation of space-based platforms capable of monitoring the Earth from hundreds of miles away with a level of precision down to less than one meter. Today, we are applying an analogous technology -- synthetic aperture sonar -- to revolutionize our understanding of the sea floor.SeaScout is an actively stabilized towed platform with an interferometric synthetic aperture sonar payload, providing approximately 3cm x 3cm resolution over hundreds of meters. With the collaboration of our technology partners and recent advances in navigation, control, and signal processing techniques, we have successfully integrated a complete and highly accessible system leveraging technology once reserved for the defense and research communities.
Designed for configuration aboard a vessel of opportunity, the SeaScout system streams data in near real-time to the operator. Beamformed, mosaicked, and georeferenced returns are immediately presented onboard the vessel or transmitted over air to the customer's destination of choice. Analysts and team leaders are no longer constrained to the operations area, and can maintain situational awareness from anywhere in the world.
The ThayerMahan SeaScout allows organizations to form a comprehensive understanding of their operational environment, including what they traditionally have not been able to see. SeaScout's high-fidelity, large-volume surveys of the seafloor and its contents generate the detailed maps needed for ensuring safe navigation, conducting infrastructure assessment, and elevating the situational awareness critical to any security operation.
Discarded anchor and chain imaged in vicinity of St. John’s Newfoundland.
USS Bass – Wreck surveyed off the coast of Rhode Island during underwater cultural heritage expedition.
SeaScout onboard Navy support vessel during Exercise Trident Warrior.
Survey operations outside of Block Island Wind Farm.
Recovery during Exercise Coastal Trident outside of Port Hueneme, CA.
Demonstration launch and recovery onboard NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer.
Communications cable crossing over liquid natural gas pipeline.
San Diego Harbor survey operations September 2020.
SeaScout deployment.
SeaScout entering water prior to descent.
Previously undocumented shipwreck off the coast of Virginia.
Block Island Wind Farm turbine base and cable matting.
Norness – Tanker torpedoed by German Submarine U-123 in route from New York City to Halifax in 1942.
