“It’s a hostile environment. Our joB is to keep us at the forefront of undersea warfare.”
ACOUSTIC Intelligence: Charting the Undersea Frontier In the Acoustics Intelligence Laboratory at the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI), STSCM(SS) Tim Hella and a small cadre of colleagues are charting the elusive sound prints of the still-mysterious ocean frontier. From their work has come an everexpanding body of knowledge from which new naval tactics and technologies are derived. The information developed by these specialists enables sonar technicians in the fleet to sort through tens of thousands of possible contacts and identify friend from foe. “ACINT (acoustics intelligence) is as much an art as a science,” says STSCM(SS) Gerald A. Behnken, ONI Acoustic Intelligence Specialist. Since the ACINT Specialist Program was born out of Cold War necessity in 1962, only a few individuals have been selected to carry out the critical mission. Currently there are just 49 qualified specialists, 39 sub-
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mariners and 10 surface warriors. All are volunteers, and each brings years of sonar experience to the job. Virtually all of them joined acoustics intelligence as an E-6 or above. Their most common shared characteristic however, is their desire to excel. “This is such a competitive bunch of guys. We all try to outdo one another,” Behnken says. Hella amplifies. “Imagine getting every ‘Type-A’ person you ever knew into one small room.” Typically, qualifying to become an ACINT specialist takes 16 to 18 months. Candidates are handpicked from the most capable submarine and surface Sonar Technicians in the fleet. The intensive training is not a formal school, but a selective, self-paced course of study coupled with formal qualification checkouts, on-the-job training, briefings, practical examinations, and time at sea under the supervision of a qualified ACINT specialist.
