U.S. Coast Guard publishes Loran-C Termination while UK and Europe launch trial eLoran service

Date: 2/2/2010

Source: Inside GNSS and RIN

The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) has certified that termination of the Loran-C signal will not adversely affect the safety of maritime navigation and that decommissioning will begin on February 8 2010, with all Loran stations expected to cease transmitting the Loran-C signal by October 1 2010.

This news comes following the recent statement from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) certifying that the Loran-C system infrastructure is not needed as a backup to the GPS system or to meet any other federal navigation requirement.

USCG was the last signature that was required in order to proceed with the termination of Loran-C, following the decision by U.S. President Obama not to seek further funding for Loran-C in 2010.

The decision to terminate Loran-C has seen much opposition in the U.S., as reported in previous ITS Radar International News. Termination of Loran-C will lead to the removal of its infrastructure, on which eLoran is dependant.

Europe and UK on the other hand, are choosing to pursue the deployment of eLoran with a new eLoran transmitter being recently installed in Cumbria. More information on eLoran in the UK and Europe can be found on the General Lighthouse Authorities website.

ITS Radar International will continue to monitor eLoran

Key words: Communications, Galileo, Geographic information