ship-tended acoustic relay

ship-tended acoustic relay

[′ship ¦ten·dəd ə′küs·tik ′rē‚lā]

(navigation)

An acoustic navigation system that employs ocean bottom transponders and determines the distance of the ship from these transponders by measuring the time required for a signal broadcast by an acoustic transducer below the hull of the ship to travel to the transponder, be rebroadcast there, and travel back to the ship. Abbreviated STAR.

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms, 6E, Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.