1. SAROPS Search And Rescue Optimal Planning System SMC/Watch Duties, Rescue 21, Etc. J. R. Frost U. S. Coast Guard Office of Search and Rescue (CG-534)

2. SMC/Watch Duties SAR, especially Search, is HARD—not easy
“Information Sparse” Environment
Aggressive Pursuit
Use All Available Information—What Does It All Mean?
Investigate, Investigate, Investigate
Follow Lines of Evidence
Think “Outside the Box”
Keep Facts Separate From Assumptions
Avoid “Scenario Lock” and “Scatterbrained” Ideas
Take the Survivor’s Side
Do Not Give Up Easily—ACTSUS Tough Decision

3. Rescue 21 FM “Lock-on” Properties Tropospheric Ducting
Audio Files—Squelch Broken to Not Broken
Strongest Signal at Receiver Always “Wins”
Voice Signals From Multiple Transmitters & Directions May Be In The Same Audio File
Tropospheric Ducting
Can Cause “Over The Horizon” Reception From Very Distant Transmitters

4. Rescue 21 Voice vs. DF Reception
RFF DF Antenna Configurations & Heights
Top Mount vs. Side Mount
DF Receive Usually Above Voice Receive
Voice Receive Antenna Is “High Gain”
Pre-Amplifier Between Antenna & Receiver
DF Receive Antenna Is “Low Gain”
No Pre-Amplifier Between Antenna & Receiver
Voice & DF Reception Ranges Are Usually About The Same
Antenna Heights Are Tabulated

5. Rescue 21 Voice/DF Correlation
Voice & DF Sub-systems Independent
Voice & LOB Are Correlated When Both Sub-systems Receive A Signal—
At The Same RFF
On The Same Frequency
At The Same Time
Cannot Absolutely Guarantee Each Sub- system Is “Hearing” Same Transmitter
R21 Does Not “Fingerprint” Transmitters

6. Rescue 21 What Does It All Mean?
LOBs Must Always Be Evaluated For:
Relevance
Does The Associated Audio File Contain Signals From Multiple Sources?
If Multiple LOBs, Which Go With Which Signal?
Do The LOBs Make Sense In Light Of Other Information, Including Range Rings?
Reliability
Direction Relative To Tower for Side-Mount DF Antennas
Signal Quality

7. Rescue 21 What Does It All Mean?
R21 Best VHF-FM System Yet
BUT…
R21 IS NOT INFALLIBLE!

8. Actual R21 Mayday Sector Charleston MISLE Case #520353
040954Q SEP 10
“Jacksonville… Mayday, Mayday, Mayday. We are going down off the coast of … Captain Bulldog, this is Coast Guard Sector Jacksonville, over…and a half miles out. Thirty-eight foot Fountain. If we…Maritime Center, Maritime Center, this is Hood. Do you read me?”

10. Mayday Call Heard Only On Mt Pleasant RFF

11. First LOB (259T) Found That Was Associated With Audio File

12. Second LOB (213T) Found That Was Also Associated With Audio File

13. Scenario Based on 213T LOB

14. A-1 (Helo), B-1 (Helo), B-2 (Boat) Completed with NEGRES
POS for 38-ft Boat = 99%, POS for PIW w/o PFD = 21%
ACTSUS Q SEP 10

15. Actual R21 Mayday Sector Charleston MISLE Case #520353
Why NEGRES?
Failure To Detect Search Object That Was Present In The Areas?
No Detectable Search Object Present In The Areas?
Searching In The Wrong Place?
Why ACTSUS Less Than 9 Hours After Distress Broadcast?
About one hour before sunset

16. Mt Pleasant Reception Range For 30-ft Transmitter Antenna

17. Mt Pleasant & Port Royal Reception Ranges For 30-ft Transmitter Antenna

18. Mt Pleasant, Port Royal & McClellanville Reception Ranges
For 30-ft Transmitter Antenna

19. 30-ft Reception & Radio Horizon Rings For All Three RFFs

20. See USCG Addendum 3.4.15.3(a)(3)c and 3.4.15.3(a)(4)c.
Range Ring Analysis
See USCG Addendum (a)(3)c and (a)(4)c.

21. LOB & Range Ring Analysis Scenarios
See USCG Addendum (a)(3)c and (a)(4)c.

22. LOB Scenario Weight = 1 (Very Unlikely)
Range Ring Analysis Scenario Weight = 10 (Almost Certain)

23. SAROPS Search Plan for 1 Hour After Mayday
Conditional POS: 38-ft Cuddy Cabin 73%, Swamped 36%, PIW 5%

24. Distress Incident Position 041000Q SEP 10
(Reconstructed From Survivor Debrief)

25. Capsized Boat, 7 Survivors Located and Rescued 050600Q SEP 10
(4 Adults, 3 Children, Ages from 5 to 62. Adrift 20 Hours.)

26. Case had been re-opened based on overdue report from wife of O/O
042206Q SEP 10. Searches conducted thru the night.

27. SAROPS Correcting Frequent User Errors
TIME Issues
SAROPS Is A Time-Based Simulation
Tip: When Adding SRUs, Move Time Slider To Desired CST If Not Already There.
Tip: Searches May Be Planned For Any Period of Time Contained Between Drift Start Time and SIM End Time + 12 Hours Without Re-running SIM.
Always Use Planner! It Helps Avoid Errors From Time Mismatches, Eases Tracking Of Previous Searches.
Avoid Using “Patterns Tool” Outside of “Runs.”

29. SAROPS Correcting Frequent User Errors
Uncertainty Issues
Zero Position Error Is Never A Good Idea.
Very Small Position Error Is Usually Not A Good Idea.
Zero Time Error Is Often Not A Good Idea.
Non-zero Default Uncertainties for Positions (1.0 NM Probable Error) and Times (+/ Hours) Are Coming.

30. SAROPS Correcting Frequent User Errors
Search Planning Epochs
Change Search Epochs (Go To Subsequent Search) At Day/Night Boundaries, or
Change Search Epochs Every 12 Hours, or
Change Search Epochs When Desired.
Avoid Search (Pattern) Assignments That Contain Sunset or Sunrise Whenever Feasible.
New Interactive Planner Will Address Many Planning Issues Now Handled Awkwardly.

31. SAROPS Correcting Frequent User Errors
Search Object Types
Use Multiple Search Object Types Initially As Appropriate, Not Always Just One.
Do Not Wait For Searches For Larger Search Objects To Fail Before Considering Smaller Search Objects.
Adjust Search Object Type Weights To Reflect Relative Likelihood Of Each Type
Use Check Boxes On SRU Properties Screen To Force Optimization Of Searches For Search Objects At Highest Risk.

33. SAROPS Correcting Frequent User Errors
Search Object Types (Continued)
Leeway Is Important!
Choose Search Object Types Carefully
Leeway Differences Will Eventually Separate Objects By Type
Detection Properties (Primarily Size) Are Important!
Choose and Enter Dimensions Carefully
Get Actual Dimensions Whenever Feasible
Adjust Dimensions for Swamped/Capsized Boats (Next Version of SAROPS Will Provide Automatic Adjustment)

37. SAROPS Correcting Frequent User Errors
Environmental Data
Deploy SLDMBs Early And Often!
The Only Wasted SLDMBs Are The Ones Not Used!
“Activate” Deployed SLDMBs
Use SLDMB Trajectories To Select Best EDS Surface Current Product
Edit Area of Interest (AOI)
Default AOI Buffer Is Generous—Reduced Dimensions More Appropriate In Most Cases
At Tools>Options>SAROPS>Run Parameters, Adjust AOI Buffer Speed Down To 2 or Even 1 Knots As Search Extends Beyond One Day (24 Hours)

39. SAROPS Correcting Frequent User Errors
Save & Export Cases Early & Often
Get Help Earlier Rather Than Later
Small Problems Tend to Compound
SAROPS Help Desk, CG-534
Practice, Practice, Practice
General Proficiency
Learning What SAROPS Can Do
Learning More About How SAROPS Works

40. SAROPS Scenario Review
Scenario Definition: Description of events up to and including the possible distress incident positions and times.
Scenario Analysis & Development Is A Critical Success Factor!
Last Known Position (LKP)
Distress Incident Position & Uncertainty
Distress Incident Time & Uncertainty

41. SAROPS Scenario Review
LKP + Dead Reckoning (LKP + DR)
Distress Incident Time Known (No Uncertainty)
Previous Position/Time & Uncertainty For Each
Course/Speed & Uncertainty For Each Since Previous Position
Area
Bounded Region Containing Distress Incident
Distress Incident Time & Uncertainty

42. SAROPS Scenario Review
Voyage
Must be Complete From a Place of Safety to a Place of Safety
Each “Particle” Given Its Own Unique Voyage Plan
Ordered List of Positions and Areas Connected by Transit Legs with Min, Cruise, and Max Speeds
Loiter or “Dwell” Times & Uncertainties Allowed at All Intermediate Locations
Distress Occurs After Departure, Before ETA
Loitering at Departure and Destination (“Safe”) Locations NOT Allowed

43. SAROPS Scenario Review
New Line of Bearing (LOB)
Statistical Distribution of Distress Incident Positions Based On Bearing Uncertainty and Minimum and Maximum Ranges from Observer’s Position
Ellipses for R21 “Fixes” (a.k.a. “Areas of Uncertainty”)
New Flare
Bounded Region (“Area”) Containing Estimated Location of an Observed Flare’s Source
Bounds are Based on Min/Max Bearings & Min/Max Ranges from Observer’s Position

44. SAROPS TEAM Thank you! Questions? U.S. Coast Guard
CG-534 CG-761 CG-64 C3CEN OSC National SAR School R&DC
Contractors
Northrop Grumman Metron Applied Science Associates
Other Federal
USN NOAA NGA
Thank you!
Questions?
J. R. Frost