ROYAL-AUSTRALIAN-NAVY LASER AIRBORNE DEPTH SOUNDER, THE 1ST YEAR OF OPERATIONS

The Laser Airborne Depth Sounder (LADS) has been a longstanding resear ch and development project with the Royal Australian Navy. Following D efence Acceptance Trials the system was provisionally accepted into se rvice and commenced operational surveys in north Queensland in March 1 993. The majority of the year saw LADS surveying in the Flinders Passa ge area from operational bases in Townsville and later Cairns. During that period a number of enhancements were implemented and LADS was for mally accepted into naval service on 8th October. In November a new su rvey was commenced between Fairway Channel and Bunker Reef, about 200 nautical miles north of Cairns. After dealing briefly with the history of development, this paper will concentrate on the operational and su rveying aspects of LADS' first year, and comment on the direction of f urther development.