Reinventing submarine signature measurements: Installation of the High Gain Measurement System at SEAFAC

Southeast Alaska Acoustic Measurement Facility (SEAFAC), the Navy's premier site for measurement and assessment of submarine signatures located just outside Ketchikan, Alaska, is comprised of three primary sites: the Shore Facility, the Static Site, and the Underway Site. In June 2008, the Underway Site was upgraded by Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division, Puget Sound Detachment (NSWCCD) and Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) with new acoustic measurement arrays to support the upgraded requirements of the submarine fleet. The new, twin acoustic measurement arrays are each 1,120 feet long with single-point moorings and custom, dynamic "lazy-S" umbilical connecting the arrays to a commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) submarine telecommunications cable to shore. These components were successfully installed, using an intricately prepared and executed plan, using assets mostly local to the Ketchikan, Alaska, area.