THE SOVIET VLF NAVIGATION SYSTEM

Benjamin B. Peterson

Peer Reviewed

Abstract:	The VLF navigation system operated by the Soviet Union for the past 20 years is described. Issues discussed include grid geometry, signal frequencies, format, transmitted power, receiver structures, on air/off air schedule, phase stability relative to a local cesium time standard, and the regular, sudden phase shifts at 2100 Z daily. The reason for pursuing the study is now primarily of historical interest. However, with recent statements from Soviet officials indicating that the system may be operated in the future for worldwide civil use, its potential use in conjunction with the existing Omega system is of renewed interest. In more technical areas, it may be possible to use propagation data on Soviet transmissions to derive information both on the propagation of Omega signals into the Soviet Union and in support of research into the measurement of phase velocities and diurnal phase variations throughout the VLF band.
Published in:	NAVIGATION: Journal of the Institute of Navigation, Volume 38, Number 3
Pages:	247 - 262
Cite this article:	Peterson, Benjamin B., "THE SOVIET VLF NAVIGATION SYSTEM", NAVIGATION: Journal of The Institute of Navigation, Vol. 38, No. 3, Fall 1991, pp. 247-262.
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