Resilient PNT for e-Navigation

P. Williams, A. Grant, C. Hargreaves, M. Bransby, N. Ward, D. Last

Abstract:	At the instigation of member administrations, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) is developing e-Navigation as the future approach to marine navigation. In MSC 85/26 Annex 20, the IMO state that positioning systems for e-Navigation: “should be resilient …. robust, reliable and dependable. Requirements for redundancy, particularly in relation to position fixing systems should be considered” GPS has become the primary source of positioning for mariners; but no Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) alone can provide resilient Position, Navigation and Timing (PNT). GNSS, including GPS, GLONASS, Compass-Beidou, QZSS and Galileo, is vulnerable to deliberate, accidental or natural radio interference. Despite these weaknesses, GPS has become a crucial element not only of maritime navigation, but also of critical national infrastructure, often without any backup being provided. A complementary system, compatible with GNSS but independent from it, is essential to achieving the resilient PNT required for e-Navigation; it is also essential for supporting a wide range of national and international critical infrastructure systems. There are numerous options available for the provision of Resilient PNT, each offering their own solutions to the Resilient PNT Business Case. However, for some, the ideal backup to GNSS is eLoran, a low frequency (100 kHz) radionavigation system using high-power, long-range, transmitters to provide accurate positioning for all modes of transport plus precise timing for telecommunications and other systems. The UK, as one of the initiators of the e-Navigation project, has put forward this position at IMO, supported by evidence from a trial eLoran system. It has taken the lead in raising awareness of the vulnerability of GNSS and the need for a backup. A prototype eLoran service provided by the UK, in cooperation with services from France, Norway, Germany and Denmark, has been available in Europe for several years. It is becoming well-known to the international maritime community through IALA and other organisations. The role of Resilient PNT in e-navigation is being developed within one of the streams of work of the EU’s INTERREG IVB part funded project ACCSEAS, of which the GLA is the lead partner, among a total of 11 partners across the North Sea Region. The other main stream of work of ACCSEAS is the development of e-navigation services that will provide vital data to the mariner to ensure safe and efficient access to the North Sea Region in an increasingly cluttered maritime environment. The aim of Resilient PNT, through its e-navigation wrapper the Multi Source Positioning Service, is to serve these other e-navigation services with high integrity, reliable and robust PNT information. This capability has been demonstrated recently aboard the Trinity House Vessel Galatea, and this paper reports on the results of those that demonstration.
Published in:	Proceedings of the ION 2013 Pacific PNT Meeting April 23 - 25, 2013 Marriott Waikiki Beach Resort & Spa Honolulu, Hawaii
Pages:	477 - 484
Cite this article:	Williams, P., Grant, A., Hargreaves, C., Bransby, M., Ward, N., Last, D., "Resilient PNT for e-Navigation," Proceedings of the ION 2013 Pacific PNT Meeting, Honolulu, Hawaii, April 2013, pp. 477-484.
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