OVERVIEW: A Dipping Sonar is a deployable, tethered sonar system used by helicopters to detect, track, and classify submarines in shallow or deep waters. It combines active and passive modes for real-time underwater threat detection.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: Dipping sonars are helicopter-borne anti-submarine warfare (ASW) systems deployed via cable into the water to gather acoustic data. The system can operate in passive mode for silent detection or in active mode to emit pings and receive echoes from underwater contacts. Typical use involves hovering over a contact datum and dipping the transducer for intermittent or continuous scans. They play a vital role in ASW by offering high-resolution tracking, localization, and target classification, especially when combined with sonobuoys and onboard processing.

ROLE SUMMARY:
Category: Anti-Submarine Warfare / Sonar
Primary Use: Submarine detection, tracking, classification
Function: Deployable helicopter-based sonar for active/passive search
Platform: ASW helicopters (e.g., MH-60R, NH90 NFH, Ka-28, Z-18F)
Integration: Interfaces with airborne ASW suites, sonobuoys, torpedo fire control systems

Type: Active/Passive dipping sonar
Processing: Onboard signal classification, Doppler processing, directional tracking
Mobility: Helicopter-tethered, vertically dipped and retracted

See Specific information under [Sensors/EW] section.

SOURCE:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dipping_sonar
Defense Update: ASW Systems for Naval Helicopters