Deep towed sidescan sonar systems

The advantages of collecting seafloor imagery, bathymetry and subbottom profiler data from 6000 meter rated deep-towed sidescan sonar systems has been appreciated for many years. The number of systems in active use in the commercial, scientific, and government communities continues to increase. New improvements to these systems include additional sub-systems such as gap-filler sonars, integrated CTD's, and improved positioning equipment; enhanced image and data processing software; and additional swath bathymetry and synthetic aperture capabilities. Countries with organizations supporting these sonars include the United States, United Kingdom, Russia, France and Japan. This presentation will describe rationale and operating procedures for these sonars and briefly summarize the recent operations of the various systems.