Covert Underwater Acoustic Communication System Using Parametric Array

A novel and efficient covert underwater acoustic (UWA) communication scheme using an acoustic parametric array and orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) system is presented. The proposed system is robust and can easily be implemented in the ocean environment. The system is also very useful in military applications where the secrecy of transmission signal and location of the transmitter are extremely important. The paper exploits the difference frequency generated by the acoustic parametric array due to the nonlinear behavior of an underwater medium. Besides the lightness and compactness, the parametric array also possesses the advantage of being low-frequency, broadband, highly directive, and narrow beam with no side lobes. The narrow beam width also helps to secure the data from a spatial point of view. Experiments have been performed in a water tank, and the results are presented to show the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.