Optical communication in underwater applications

An important capability of a future submarine system is the ability to communicate rapidly utilising high data transfer rates. The communication should be secure enough to prevent the revealing of the position of the submarine. Unmanned underwater vehicles (UUV´s) may become important since the UUV can be used for advanced surveillence. Information from the UUV´s sensors needs to be transferred to the submarine and the control and command system. Free-space optical communication based on laser and fiber optics technology offers new exciting possibilities to transfer information in submarine applications. This report describes underwater applications using optical communication and laser technology. Different concepts for communication, focusing on retrocommunication, are discussed. Performance calculations covering important functions and technical possibilities are presented.