Integrated Undersea
Surveillance System (IUSS) Site Awards History
To view a listing of IUSS site citations and awards click here.
Integrated Undersea
Surveillance System (IUSS) History 1950 - 1997 Introduction: Welcome to
IUSS History 101. The study of history is only of value to us if
we use it as a foundation of learning in which to look forward
and build towards a better future. The course objective is to
give you some highlights from the last 40 plus years of undersea
surveillance and previously classified views into the
establishment of one of the most critical intelligence collection
systems of the Cold War. The 50's and 60's witnessed the
birth, early childhood development and growth of undersea
surveillance; originally the Sound Surveillance System (SOSUS).
With the 70's came technology upgrades both in shore and
underwater systems; planning for new cable ships, super NAVFACs
and the follow on to the Towed Array Sensor System (TASS), the
Surveillance Towed Array Sensor System (SURTASS). The 80's
realized consolidation of shore assets due to technology advances
in underwater systems, arrival of the first SURTASS ships,
delivery of the cable ship USNS Zeus, and the end of the Cold
War; this last one to have repercussions that most of us did not
anticipate. The 90's where we are today. Here are some events of note: As a result of its experience
during the recent hostilities the navy has announced its
intention to exploit passive sonar in its Anti- Submarine Warfare
(ASW) effort. The year is 1949. As a result of this renewed
interest in underwater acoustic research the Navy established
Project Hartwell under MIT leadership. It was initiated to
structure a long range program for submarine defense. The
committee concluded that detection of low frequency sound was
the answer to the snorkeling diesel submarine problem. 1950 The Hartwell Committee recommended
approximately $10 million of R&D funding per year to be
applied to the development of an effective long range acoustic
detection sensor system using bottomed arrays. The evolution of
undersea surveillance had begun. 1951 A 6-element test array is
installed at Eleuthera and Ensign Joe Kelly is assigned as
BUSHIPS Code 849 to oversee this high priority project; named
Project Jezebel. 1952 CNO Directs BUSHIPS to procure six
sets of LOFAR station components for deployment in the North
Atlantic basin in a Top Secret letter. 1953 Part of Project Jezebel was the
study of short range, high frequency, upward looking sets of
bottomed, active sources located in a strait as a complement to
SOSUS; this was known as Project Colossus. 1954 Ten additional CAESAR stations (3
Atlantic, 6 Pacific and 1 in Hawaii) are authorized. 1955 NAVFACs established in Bermuda,
Shelburne Nova Scotia, Nantucket MA, and Cape May NJ. 1956 NAVFACs Cape Hatteras NC, Antigua,
and data Evaluation Centers in New York and Norfolk VA become
operational. 1957 NAVFACs Eleuthera Bahamas and
Barbados in the Atlantic, and San Nicolas Island in the Pacific
are established 1958 Commander, Oceanographic System
Atlantic established. Oceanographic units in New York, San Juan,
Puerto Rico and Norfolk VA. disestablished. 1958-1960 Project supports installation of
Atlantic and Pacific Missile Impact Location System. 1959 NAVFAC Argentia, Newfoundland
established 1960 Shallow Water system installed and terminated at Navfac Argentia: Ten 8-element arrays on two 40-pair cables: counter against Hudson Bay submarine patrols by Soviets 1961 SOSUS tracks USS George Washington
from continential US to United Kingdom 1962 1963 1964 1966 NAVFAC Keflavik Iceland
established exactly one year after decision made to deploy SOSUS
to the Norwegian Sea. 1968 March, Soviet Golf SSB (K-129) sinks NW of Hawaii; May, USS SCORPION (SSN 589) sinks SW of Azores. SOSUS plays a key role in the location of these vessels. 1970 First USN women assigned to
operational billets at NAVFAC Eleuthera (Norah Taylor-Brown) CNO designates COMOCEANSYSLANT &
COMOCEANSYSPAC as "Major Commands". 1971 First Naval Aviator to command an
Oceanographic System, CAPT Richard A. Hoffman, USN becomes COSP.
He assumed title of Commodore (not heretofor used in the Pacific
System) in order to emphasize real-time operational role of SOSUS. 1972 1973 CAPT Joe Kelly, "Father Of
SOSUS" retires. COSP is audited by GAO. GAO recognizes
SOSUS role as a "FORCE - MULTIPLIER" and
recommends that SOSUS manning and budget be increased. 1974 MID-1970s CAPT Dempster Jackson becomes PMW
124 and the rest is history.
1976 1977 First woman Commanding Officer of
a NAVFAC as LCDR Peggy Frederick takes command of NAVFAC Lewes
1979 1980 NOPF Dam Neck VA. established-WESTLANT
consolidation 1981 NOPF Ford Island HI. established 1982 NAVFAC Cape Hatteras, NC disestablished. 1983 Service ratings OTA (Analyst) and OTM (Equipment Maintainer) established. 1984 USNS STALWART (T-AGOS 1), first of 18 monohull SURTASS ships, arrives at Little Creek. 1985 Readiness Training Facility
established at Dam Neck. 1986 NAVELEX (PME-124) becomes SPAWAR (PMW
180) 1987 NAVFAC Whidbey Island WA
established 1988 CAPT Joe Kelly passes away at
Bethesda Naval Hospital 1989 PMW 180 renamed PD 80 1990 Authorization for IUSS officers to
wear IUSS Warfare Specialty breast insignia 1991 System mission is declassified
after 41 years of secrecy. COMOCEANSYSLANT/PAC (COSL/COSP) changed to COMUNDERSEASURVLANT/PAC (CUSL/CUSP). 1992 NAVFAC Centerville Beach survives
three earthquakes: 6.9,7.0,7.1 on Richter scale. 1993 First woman Commodore as Commander
Undersea Surveillance Pacific: CAPT Marnee Finch 1994 Commander Undersea Surveillance
Atlantic and Pacific consolidate into one command located in
Norfolk, VA: Commander Undersea Surveillance and staff relocate
to Dam Neck VA. Unfortunately, the downsizing of undersea
surveillance is in full swing. 1995 PD 80 becomes PD 18 and designated
ISR 1996 NAVFAC Keflavik Iceland ceases
operations after 30 years 1997 NAVFAC Adak AK plug pulled;
Reverts to "Wet Storage." And "The Hunt"
continues…
Bahamas (2-19 January) total cost for 50-day charter is $56,400
($840/day plus fuel).
These efforts become model for a Navy-wide "Self-help"
program
Following the words of Horace Greeley Brac "Go West SPAWAR"
SPAWAR moves to San Diego.