Why Loran and eLoran?
Over the last several years, while nations made important decisions
to migrate away from a sole-means Global Navigation Satellite
System (GNSS) approach to critical infrastructure operations,
Loran also changed in a substantial way; it rapidly evolved into
a modern system that can provide unprecedented capabilities as
a GNSS backup in numerous critical infrastructure operations.
During this time, the Royal Institute of Navigation (RIN) labeled
Loran "an ideal and complementary backup to GNSS" and the Federal
Aviation Administration (FAA) identified Loran as "the best theoretical
backup" to GPS. Recently, rigorous studies of a modern Loran system
have removed the "theoretical" qualifier, and the evolution of
modern Loran technology has just begun. Today, we are entering
a new era for a new Loran, now referred to as "enhanced" or eLoran.
It must be emphasized that there is global interest and support
behind the movement to eLoran. For example, a 2003 agreement between
the FAA, United States Coast Guard (USCG), and Department of Transportation
(DOT) acknowledges "that GPS is indeed vulnerable to intentional
and unintentional interference and that backup systems are required….,"
and identified timing as another part of the US critical infrastructure.
Timing is essential to the secure and continued operation of telecommunications,
power, and financial infrastructures in all modern economies,
and is frequently based solely on GPS. Importantly, Loran is a
proven, high quality timing source, and it can support these infrastructure
operations as well.
Technical and Cost/Benefit Evaluations of eLoran
Since GNSS requires a backup, Loran is an obvious candidate because
it is the only other multimodal system, does not share vulnerabilities
with GNSS, and is inexpensive. Because eLoran offers so much potential,
the US FAA and USCG have been conducting studies to determine
the reality behind that potential. An experienced team of experts
performed evaluations to determine if eLoran could meet FAA non-precision
approach (NPA) and USCG harbor entrance and approach (HEA) requirements,
and provide additional benefits to the US, such as timing. It
is notable that the team included experts from other nations,
so the effort was international.
A report on the US Loran technical evaluation was completed in
March 2004 and states: "The evaluation shows that the modernized
Loran system could satisfy the current NPA, HEA, and timing/frequency
requirements in the United States and could be used to mitigate
the operational effects of a disruption in GPS services, thereby
allowing the users to retain the benefits they derive from their
use of GPS." Clearly, eLoran has met US performance requirements.
In February 2004, another DOT report stated: "If enhanced Loran
meets the aviation NPA and maritime HEA performance criteria,
and is cost effective across multiple modes, the Federal Government
should operate Loran as an element of the long-term US radionavigation
system mix." In order to address this economic criterion, the
DOT’s Volpe Center conducted a Loran cost/benefit analysis,
which was also completed in March 2004. Although the results have
not yet been made public, modernization towards eLoran is well
underway in the US. To date, approximately $120 million has been
spent on eLoran, and after the modernization is complete, the
US eLoran system will have annual operations costs of about $15
million. This is a remarkably low figure, particularly because
eLoran will provide the US with benefits in aviation, marine,
terrestrial, and timing applications, benefits that single modal
systems could never provide. Of course, nations with smaller eLoran
systems can expect proportionately smaller modernization and operational
costs.
Where We Stand Today
Based on their technical and economic studies, the DOT has indicated
they will issue a decision in July 2004 on the future of eLoran
in the US. This decision will set an important, long-term global
precedent. Several European countries are now formulating their
Loran policy position. France intends to expand its system and
the UK will install a new Loran transmitter this fall. There is
also significant interest in Asia, both in system modernization
and expansion, as well as new user equipment. This is one reason
the ILA is holding its 33rd annual meeting in Tokyo, where representatives
from Japan, China, Korea, Russia, Europe, USA, Canada, and other
countries will gather this fall.
Implications for eLoran’s Future
The last several years have brought a tremendous interest in
eLoran’s potential, and the realization of this potential
will have major implications in two areas. First, there will be
an expansion of eLoran systems internationally. More areas of
the world will be covered by eLoran, and eLoran will be used for
more applications in those areas (e.g. the use of precise timing
signals from the new UK transmitter). Second, there will be an
intense period of integrated eLoran/GNSS user equipment development,
as evidenced by GPS/Loran integration work already underway for
aviation, marine, and timing applications.
In conclusion, the growth of eLoran will provide users and nations
with integrated systems offering unprecedented performance in
multiple applications. More importantly, these integrated systems
will result in safer users, stronger infrastructures, and more
secure nations.
G. Linn Roth, Ph.D., FRIN
President
International Loran Association
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