Example – In *The Hunt For Red October*, Petty Officer Jones can tell where submarines are and what they’re doing just be listening to sonar. So how do submariners do this, especially since there aren’t any viewscreens or windows on the boat? Like how did Jones know that USS *Dallas* just inbetween *Red October* and the Soviet sub to distract the torpedo?
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They use sonar for active detection, but this reveals your presence to the enemy due to sending out a loud sound signal, so it is only used in certain situations.
When they need to conceal their presence or bearing, they use hydrophones, which is basically an array of microphones that provide the directional bearing. A trained hydrophone operator can tell what they are listening to and get other information apart from just the bearing. Hydrophones are passive, meaning that they only listen without emitting a signal that can reveal your presence. Unlike sonar, hydrophones do not provide range, although the operator may be able to tell if the object is moving closer or further away by changes in volume. Taking readings over time and plotting them can also tell you the direction the object is moving.
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