A method of deploying sonobouys includes providing an airborne aircraft having a computer and a plurality of sonobouys; making a contact with a submarine; determining a position of the submarine, a position error of the submarine and a speed of the submarine; inputting into the computer the airborne aircraft speed, a distance from the airborne aircraft to the submarine, the position error of the submarine, and a sonobuoy detection range; computing a flight time and flight distance to a first sonobuoy drop; computing a flight time, a flight distance and an airborne aircraft course to each subsequent sonobuoy drop to encircle the submarine with sonobuoys; displaying a total number of sonobouys needed, a total flight time to deploy the total number of sonobouys and a total flight distance to deploy the total number of sonobouys; deploying a first sonobuoy; and deploying additional sonobouys until the total number of sonobouys has been deployed.