A jet aircraft with integrated, rotary sonobuoy launch system has storage
racks for a number of sonobuoys in sonobuoy launch containers; and one or
more launcher units in its cabin. Each launcher unit has a pressure shell
with a door allowing loading of sonobuoys in sonobuoy launch containers
from the storage racks. With the door closed, the inside of the shell can
be depressurized for launching a sonobuoy by opening a gate valve that
connects the interior of the shell to the exterior of the aircraft. With
the gate valve closed, the shell can pressurized so that the door can be
opened and sonobuoys reloaded. A control system can be used to rotate a
rotary launcher inside each pressure shell so that a selected sonobuoy is
moved to a launch position above the gate valve and a launch tube, and a
pneumatic system can be used to launch the sonobuoy.