Drs. Fred T. Erskine and Roger C. Gauss, from the Naval Research Laboratory's Acoustics Division, have received The Technical Cooperation Program (TTCP) Achievement Award for multistatic anti-submarine warfare (ASW) experimentation.
Dr. Erskine explained that, "Since 1996, under the auspices of TTCP, researchers in NRL's Acoustics Division have worked with colleagues in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States, to develop multistatic ASW sonar technology (MAST) and system concepts. The research team evaluated these technologies through an ambitious program of collaborative at-sea experimentation, data exchanges and scientific analyses."
Drs. Erskine and Gauss received the TTCP Technical Achievement Award for their "significant contributions to sustaining the high level of productivity in focal teams and executing the essential sea trial components of the research collaboration."
The research collaborations included participation in two major (TTCP-MAST) sea trials: T-MAST 99 in the northeast Pacific Ocean in September 1999, and T-MAST 02 in the northwest approaches to the United Kingdom in July 2002. "The T-MAST 02 sea trial was particularly extensive," said Dr. Gauss. The platform assets participating in the exercise included seven surface ships, three maritime patrol aircraft, and one diesel-electric submarine. Multistatic ASW sonar assets included eight active sources, six towed receiver arrays, five bottomed receiver arrays, and directional and omni-directional sonobuoy receivers. Over one hundred scientific personnel participated in the shipboard and maritime aircraft operations. "Significant technology advances have been fostered among TTCP nations for multistatic ASW concepts and systems developments via these sea trials. Two post-trial data analysis workshops were held at NRL in June 2003 and June 2004 to review the detailed scientific results from the T-MAST 02 sea trial," concluded Dr. Gauss.
Currently, Dr. Erskine is project leader of the continuing TTCP Multistatic ASW collaborative effort, known as Combined Multistatic ASW Sonar Technology (CMAST), and Dr. Gauss leads the CMAST focal team on environmental effects. The CMAST collaboration provides the forum for continuing exchange of data and scientific results from past sea trials and the forum to plan future multinational experiments.
Dr. Erskine is the Associate Superintendent of NRL's Acoustics Division, where he has worked since 1981. His principal research interests have involved improved measurements of boundary scattering in the deep and littoral oceans, including through-the-sensor scattering measurements. Dr. Erskine was previously project analysis coordinator for the Office of Naval Research's (ONR's) Environmentally Adaptive Sonar Technology (EA-89) project. From 1996 to 2000, he was chief scientist for ONR's Littoral Warfare Advanced Development project.
Prior to this, Dr. Erskine was a principal investigator and chief scientist for Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command's (SPAWAR's) Critical Sea Test project. He holds a bachelor's degree from Washington and Jefferson College, PA; a master's degree from Worcester Polytechnic Institute, MA; and a doctorate from the University of Iowa, all in physics. He performed graduate studies in biophysics at Harvard University. Prior to coming to NRL, Dr. Erskine, conducted extensive research in radio astrophysics and biophysics. He has taught various combinations of physics, mathematics, and astronomy at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, MA; Mindanao State University (Philippines); Cushing Academy, MA; Fitchburg State College, MA; the University of Iowa, Villanova University, PA; and the University of Maryland. He is a member of the Acoustical Society of America (ASA), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the IEEE Oceanic Engineering Society, the Oceanography Society, the American Geophysical Union, the American Astronomical Society (AAS), the Solar Physics Division of AAS, the Federation of American Scientists, Pi Delta Epsilon (Journalism), and Sigma Xi.
Dr. Gauss is currently head of NRL's Analytic Acoustics Section, a position he has held since 1988. He began his career at NRL in 1979 by investigating low-frequency ambient noise and the impact of environmental factors on the performance of bottom-mounted, passive arrays. Since 1983, Dr. Gauss's principal research interests have included all aspects of active acoustic systems, with particular emphasis on science and performance issues relating to reverberation and clutter. In addition to being a principal investigator, he is the manager of a 6.2 multistatic active acoustics project. Dr. Gauss received his B.S. degree in applied mathematics from the University of Virginia in 1974, and a Ph.D. in applied mathematics from the University of Maryland in 1981. He is a member of Sigma Xi and the Acoustical Society of America.
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