Abstract: Based on the review of the methods for geophysical investigation and acoustic navigation, we discussed the applications of acoustic positioning system to deep tow system in this paper. The advantages and disadvantages of three traditional acoustic positioning systems, especially the USBL system, are summarized respectively. Some typical products of USBL are listed and main features and their performance and application introduced. Through the discussion of the key technical problems, we proposed in this paper that the combined acoustic navigation and integrated navigation will become a research hotspot in the future.