Colin Clarke – The role of an acoustic analyst

That’s basically taking all the recorded acoustic information, ships, submarines, any Naval Unit that is collecting acoustic data on it’s sonars, that goes to the shoreside capability where the data is scrutinised, reanalysed, and there are a number of reasons for that.

That’s checking that the Sonar Teams had optimised their sensors, their sonars, and they were operating correctly in accordance with the drills and procedures, so that they shouldn’t be missing anything, but actually had they missed something that they should have seen ‘cos they hadn’t put the lines up (Sonar Search Plan) on right, or they just had missed it for whatever reason.

What it also allows us to do is identify are there any defects going on that they’re not aware of and then that also gets turned into, as I mentioned earlier, reference material for the future, training material to keep the guys and girls who are the Sonar Operators in the Fleet up to date.

We also generate the Advanced Acoustic Analysis Course information, from that organisation as well, so that’s what that role is all about, plus overseeing and leading the Navy Acoustic Analysis Team that are embedded in Dstl.