eLORAN as GPS backup
HIPAR
outdated radionavigation system that nobody uses anymore but
legislation is being introduced to complete the enhancement of LORAN.
'The legislation implicitly confirms the findings of an Independent
Assessment Team (IAT) on eLoran, funded by the office of the under
secretary of transportation policy and chaired by Brad Parkinson, the
first program manager for GPS'.
http://www.insidegnss.com/node/1571
--- CHAS
Sam Wormley
Coast Guard Directed to Maintain and Upgrade Loran
http://sidt.gpsworld.com/gpssidt/content/printContentPopup.jsp?id=604089
Jun 16, 2009
GPS World
The U.S. Senate, in a Coast Guard Authorization Act for Fiscal Years 2010 and 2011
currently before the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, directs the
Secretary of Transportation to maintain the current Loran-C navigation system and prepare
for modernization to eLoran, and authorizes $37 million per year for 2010 and 2011 towards
that purpose. Similar action is also currently pending in the House.
It’s not all said and done yet, but things are looking up for the system that originated
during World War II. A modernized or eLoran version has been proposed as a back-up for GPS
and other pending GNSS systems, as both old and new versions are much more resistant to
jamming. Current action in the Senate and before the House Appropriations Committee may be
in part driven by the recent GAO report on GPS, as well as the 8-year old Volpe Report
from the Department of Transportation, both of which pointed out GPS vulnerabilities.
The Coast Guard and its current overseer, the Department of Homeland Security, have
repeatedly tried to kill LORAN in recent years, citing lack of money to maintain and
operate the system, let alone upgrade it. And such may be true, as the agencies were
previously directed to carry out these operations from the "general operating budget."
Each year Congress has restored LORAN to life with funding in one-year increments. The
current measure may be just more of the same, although it appears to allocate enough money
to begin modernization to eLORAN in earnest. It remains to be seen whether the $37 million
twice over will survive the legislative process.
The significance of Congressional intent, if carried through, will be continuous longterm
commitment to Loran as an essential, integral back-up to GPS. Without such a demonstrated
commitment from the U.S. government, OEM manufacturers have been reluctant to design and
produce integrated Loran/GPS chips or receivers. Despite demonstrated interest from
aviation, marine, and other user sectors, these receivers are in very short supply on the
market, and lack of volume has kept costs higher than they would otherwise be.
The Senate bill is sponsored by Senator Maria Cantwell of Washington, with co-sponsors Kay
Bailey Hutchison of Texas, John D. Rockefeller, IV of West Virginia, and Olympia Snowe of
Maine. Similar legislation is before the House Appropriations Committee.
The relevant sections of S.1194 read as follows:
SEC. 603. COAST GUARD TO MAINTAIN LORAN-C NAVIGATION SYSTEM.
(a) IN GENERAL- The Secretary of Transportation shall maintain the LORAN-C navigation
system until such time as the Secretary is authorized by statute, explicitly referencing
this section, to cease operating the system but expedite modernization projects necessary
for transition to eLORAN technology.
(b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS- There are authorized to be appropriated to the
Secretary of Transportation, in addition to funds authorized under section 101 of this Act
for the Coast Guard for operation of the LORAN-C system and for the transition to eLORAN,
for capital expenses related to the LORAN-C infrastructure and to modernize and upgrade
the LORAN infrastructure to provide eLORAN services, $37,000,000 for each of fiscal years
2010 and 2011. The Secretary of Transportation may transfer from the Federal Aviation
Administration and other agencies of the Department of Transportation such funds as may be
necessary to reimburse the Coast Guard for related expenses.
(c) REPORT ON TRANSITION TO ELORAN TECHNOLOGY- No later than 6 months after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation, in cooperation with the Secretary
of the Department in which the Coast Guard is operating, shall provide a report to the
Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the House of Representatives
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure a detailed 5-year plan for transition to
eLORAN technology that includes--
(1) the timetable, milestones, projects, and future funding required to complete the
transition from LORAN-C to eLORAN technology for provision of positioning, navigation, and
timing services; and
(2) the benefits of eLORAN for national transportation safety, security, and economic growth.
(end of S.1194 text excerpt)
LORAN (LOng Range Aid to Navigation) is a terrestrial radio navigation system using
multiple low-frequency radio transmitters to determine location and/or speed of the
receiver. LORAN-C which operates in the RF spectrum from 90 to 110 kHz. Many European
countries strongly back Loran and are modernizing their installations. Russia has a nearly
identical system in the same frequency range, called CHAYKA.
utilsea
When you know that LORAN is the only one radionavigation system (since
OMEGA have been switched off) you can receive under sea without an
antenna over sea surface.
You can easely imagin who are the users and what is the interest of
that system...
Cheers
Utilsea
http://utilsea.free.fr