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Navy Responds to Recent LFA Sonar Ruling

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS080207-13
Release Date: 2/7/2008 9:12:00 AM

From Navy Office of Information

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The Navy issued the following statement, Feb. 6, in response to the ruling by the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, which determined that the Navy may continue to use its Surveillance Towed Array Sensor System (SURTASS) Low Frequency Active (LFA) sonar, but only under a number of restrictions.

"Although we believe no injunction was justified in this case, we are pleased that the court recognized the need for Navy to be afforded greater flexibility under the terms of this preliminary injunction than under the previous injunction. Specifically this ruling allows us to continue testing and training with LFA in the Western Pacific, an area of great strategic interest, and it allows flexibility for use in coastal areas.

"We also are pleased that the court recognized that the public has a compelling interest in protecting national security by ensuring military preparedness and a strong defensive capability, as well as protecting those serving in the military from attacks from hostile submarines.

"We presently have two ships equipped with LFA, both of which operate in the Western Pacific.

"Achieving ranges up to 100 nautical miles, LFA allows the Navy to detect new, quiet submarines at long range with enough time to react.

"LFA sonar has never been implicated in a stranding event. The Navy has conducted more than 15 SURTASS LFA operational missions since January 2003, almost 300 hours of active sonar transmission time, with no evidence of negative effects on marine mammals.

"Together with the National Marine Fisheries Service, the Navy has worked very hard since 2002 to study those issues that the Court believed needed additional research and analysis. We carefully monitored the effects of the system and saw nothing in five years of operations that would lead us to suspect we injured any marine mammals. We used the information gained from years of research and analysis to better inform the decision how to utilize the LFA system.

"Given that the Court still has questions about use of LFA sonar in a few specific locations, we will work to resolve those issues. We are carefully studying the opinion and considering how to proceed."

For more information on sonar, visit www.navy.mil/oceans/.