In the mid-50's, the Naval Air Development Center, Johnsville, PA, was involved in the development of an explosive echo-ranging technique employing practice depth charges (PDC's) -- later known as Signals, Underwater Sound (SUS) -- and passive-listening sonobuoys to detect quiet submarines.
One evening, between days of one of the program's technical reviews by visiting NAVAIR sponsors, some of the visitors took in the entertainment at The Wedge, a burlesque theater in nearby Philadelphia. A performer that evening was Julie Gibson, doing her "Dance of the Bashful Bride". The visitors were duly impressed
, deciding that Julie "made passive boys (think: buoys!) go active." OK, it may be kind of a lame play on words
, but that is how they arrived at naming the program Project JULIE.
Julie Gibson was subsequently apprised of the honor bestowed on her. More about Julie G. can be found at
Java's Bachelor Pad: Julie Gibson .
JULIE was introduced into the Fleet in 1956, employing SUS and the AN/SSQ-2B sonobuoy, which was replaced in 1957 by the AN/SSQ-23.
JEZEBEL, the acoustic detection method using passive-listening sonobuoys, likely had its name -- somewhat oddly -- inspired by Biblical reference. In Kings 1, Jezebel, a queen of ancient Israel, was nothing but bad
. She was (among other things) "a Betrayer", and it was likely that idea of betraying the presence of an enemy submarine through passive acoustic detection that gave this technique -- also in development at NADC -- its name.
NADC/Johnsville (later NADC/Warminster) was "realigned" as part of the new Naval Air Warfare Center (Aircraft Division) in 1992, and the Warminster facility closed in 1996, its remaining functions transferred to NAWC/AD's main location at NAS Patuxent River, MD. Historical info about NADC can be found at:
NAWC Warminster Historical Information
Many thanks for the pic!!!!
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