TAILSHIPS: The Hunt for Soviet Submarines in the Mediterranean, 1970-1973

Obsolete, except for the experimental anti-submarine warfare sensor they carried, the USS Hammerberg, DE-1015; the USS Courtney, DE-1021; and the USS Lester, DE-1022 went to the Mediterranean in 1970 to demonstrate the potential of a technology that relied on a passive towed array detection system; what the Navy officially designated as the Interim Towed Array Surveillance System (ITASS). These DEs proved so successful against Soviet submarines that the US Navy committed additional resources to refining the capability of passive towed array sonars. The development of the Towed Array Surveillance System (TASS), the Surveillance Towed Array Sonar System (SURTASS) and the Tactical Towed Array Sonar (TACTASS) deployable systems were direct follow-ons to ITASS. Contains 59 b/w photos, 6 color profiles, 18 b/w maps, 1 color map, 12 diagrams, and 4 tables.