OVERVIEW: The SOSUS (Sound Surveillance System) array is a network of fixed seabed hydrophone installations designed to detect and track submarines via passive acoustic monitoring, forming part of the Integrated Undersea Surveillance System (IUSS). it enables strategic, long-range detection of submarines across vast oceanic areas using passive acoustic methods.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: The Sound Surveillance System (SOSUS) is a seabed-deployed network of hydrophone arrays connected via undersea cables to onshore processing facilities. Operating passively, it monitors low-frequency sounds propagating through deep ocean channels (SOFAR channel), enabling detection of submarine activity at transoceanic ranges. Since the 1980s, SOSUS has been integrated into the broader IUSS architecture, incorporating data fusion from mobile platforms (SURTASS) and digitized upgrades. Modern variants leverage improved processing, automation, and networking to maintain relevance in the 21st century.

ROLE SUMMARY:
Category: Fixed Passive Sonar / Undersea Surveillance Network
Primary Use: Strategic detection and long-range tracking of submarines
Function: Passive acoustic monitoring via seabed hydrophone arrays
Platform: Seafloor-fixed (continental shelf and ocean basin locations)

See Specific information under [Sensors/EW] section.

SOURCE:
Declassified naval acoustic surveillance literature and public domain IUSS documentation