Radial basis function neural networks (RBF NNs) are one of the most useful tools in the classification of the sonar targets. Despite many abilities of RBF NNs, low accuracy in classification, entrapment in local minima, and slow convergence rate are disadvantages of these networks. In order to overcome these issues, the sine-cosine algorithm (SCA) has been used to train RBF NNs in this work. To evaluate the designed classifier, two benchmark underwater sonar classification problems were used. Also, an experimental underwater target classification was developed to practically evaluate the merits of the RBFbased classifier in dealing with high-dimensional real world problems. In order to have a comprehensive evaluation, the classifier is compared with the gradient descent (GD), gravitational search algorithm (GSA), genetic algorithm (GA), and Kalman filter (KF) algorithms in terms of entrapment in local minima, the accuracy of the classification, and the convergence rate. The results show that the proposed classifier provides a better performance than other compared classifiers as it classifies the sonar datasets 2.72% better than the best benchmark classifier, on average.

In this paper, a new Multi-Layer Perceptron Neural Network (MLP NN) classifier is proposed for classifying sonar targets and non-targets from the acoustic backscattered signals. Besides the capabilities of MLP NNs, it uses Back Propagation (BP) and Gradient Descent (GD) for training; therefore, MLP NNs face with not only impertinent classification accuracy but also getting stuck in local minima as well as lowconvergence speed. To lift defections, this study uses Adaptive Best Mass Gravitational Search Algorithm (ABGSA) to train MLP NN. This algorithm develops marginal disadvantage of the GSA using the bestcollected masses within iterations and expediting exploitation phase. To test the proposed classifier, this algorithm along with the GSA, GD, GA, PSO and compound method (PSOGSA) via three datasets in various dimensions will be assessed. Assessed metrics include convergence speed, fail probability in local minimum and classification accuracy. Finally, as a practical application assumed network classifies sonar dataset. This dataset consists of the backscattered echoes from six different objects: four targets and two non-targets. Results indicate that the new classifier proposes better output in terms of aforementioned criteria than whole proposed benchmarks.