Efficient configuration of heterogeneous multistatic sonar networks: A mixed-integer linear programming approach

Abstract

The work undertaken in this paper pertains to the optimal spatial configuration of a heterogeneous Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) for the Area Coverage (AC) problem. Specifically, this research falls under the heading of Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) with an emphasis on active sonar systems and, more pointedly still, on a specific type of sensor: sonobuoys (portmanteau word formed by “sonar” and “buoy”). These buoys are further divided into three main categories: transmitter-only (Tx), receiver-only (Rx) and transmitter–receiver (TxRx). In this paper, we will therefore try to determine the geographical location of the different buoys comprising a Multistatic Sonar Network (MSN), special case of WSN, so as to maximize the overall surface area covered. To do this, we discretize an Area of Interest (AoI) into regular cells using bathymetric and altimetric data, and place a deployment position and a fictitious target at the center of each cell so that we can evaluate the network’s performance. More precisely, we are taking into account a limited number of sensors (buoys) with possible pairwise incompatibilities, variable performances, probabilistic detection models, an adverse masking effect (direct blast) as well as coastlines features. Finally, in order to solve this problem, we have developed several efficient Mixed-Integer Linear Programs (MILPs), all of which have been thoroughly tried-and-tested on a benchmark set of 100 instances derived from real elevation data. This has led us to identify an ideal model, i.e. one that is significantly better than all the others in the statistical sense.