daninthelionsden
Member
Navy vessels are equipped with two types of sonar. One is passive and "listens" for other vessels. It is the most common method in peacetime. The other is active sonar. It is used to verify and fix the speed/ depth/ location of a suspected or known contact. It is less frequently used because of its extremely damaging effects to all marine mammals(whale/dolphins/porpoises...etc) in the immediate vicinity of the sonar ping. Sonar today is much more powerful than it was decades past and its damaging/deadly effects on sealife much more evident. Active sonar blasts the brain of sea mammals destroying their ability to navigate. Its why you see them washed up on shore or trapped in shallow water. The government does not like this info made public and the media obliges. There would be a public outcry. In wartime active sonar would be used frequently and its effects would be devastating. Necessary evil in todays military.