Loran-C Modernization … Achievements & Plans

John J. Macaluso

Abstract:	Loran is a land-based radionavigation system that provides navigation and timing information to users in the coverage area. Currently, the United States Loran system is operational throughout the Continental United States (CONUS) and Alaska. Loran has been identified as the best theoretical backup to the Global Positioning System (GPS) for multimodal transportation and timing applications. For this reason, the U. S. Coast Guard (USCG), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Academia, and Industry have been working together since 1997 to modernize the Loran infrastructure and to improve the performance of the service to meet stringent requirements for maritime and aviation transportation. As a result of these efforts, several advances have been made. The technical feasibility of Differential-Loran and the Loran Data Channel (LDC) has been proven. Additionally, nearly every component of the Loran system has been redesigned, and ten of the twenty-four U. S. Loran stations (Lorstas) have been modernized. By December 2005, plans call for all eighteen Loran stations in the CONUS Loran system to be modernized, the new control system to be installed at both control stations, and the CONUS Loran system to be converted to Time-of-Transmission (TOT) control. Shortly thereafter, the LDC is planned for operational implementation, broadcasting Differential-Loran information. When all this happens, the modernized U. S. Loran system will be available to industry, users, and researchers nationwide who wish to integrate Loran into radionavigation and timing electronics to improve the robustness of their systems.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 2005 National Technical Meeting of The Institute of Navigation January 24 - 26, 2005 The Catamaran Resort Hotel San Diego, CA
Pages:	431 - 437
Cite this article:	Macaluso, John J., "Loran-C Modernization … Achievements & Plans," Proceedings of the 2005 National Technical Meeting of The Institute of Navigation, San Diego, CA, January 2005, pp. 431-437.
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