cliffy Posted August 8, 2017 Report Share Posted August 8, 2017 https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2017/08/radio-navigation-set-to-make-global-return-as-gps-backup-because-cyber/ And to think I threw my old LORAN in the trash can Better keep 1 VOR kiddies! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HRM Posted August 8, 2017 Report Share Posted August 8, 2017 A lot of pilots were very unhappy when they shut the LORAN system down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yetti Posted August 8, 2017 Report Share Posted August 8, 2017 still have the NorthStar sitting on the shelf... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1964-M20E Posted August 8, 2017 Report Share Posted August 8, 2017 VORs a good thing. keep them active. ELORAN would be nice too. I never really used LORAN much only flew one plane that had it early in my flying carer. Not sure if I would go panel mount ELORAN if it were available but a portable to replace my portable GPS that would work then you have 2 different moving map systems not subject to the same mode of failure and you can always use VORs at least for now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomR Posted August 9, 2017 Report Share Posted August 9, 2017 (edited) Here's my thinking on the subject. Yes the loran system does have merit for the marine market and yes it has advantages over the VOR such as over the horizon capability. But, here's the rub, what's harder to "jam" or "defeat". Well yes gps can be jammed realativley easily but it requires the jamming transmitter to be relatively close to the targeted area. Loran is next to impossible to jam. However, here's the one big advantage to space based navigation. It's extremely well protected by the simple fact it's in space. For instance the few satellite shoot downs we've see recently have been at realtivley low altitude. (China in 2007-500miles) (USA in 2008-150miles) By comparison the GPS constellation (32 satellites) orbits at 12,500 on a variety of orbital planes and spacings. Without getting into too much detail killing a satellite at 150 miles is extremely hard and exceptionally expensive. (Like putting a naval fleet in the middle of the pacific at just the right spot to launch at just the right moment) Not exactly a surprise attack. Now try to do that 32 times at 100 times higher altitude. Much easier to just take out a couple of loran transmitters sitting out in the open in random locations. Finally, attacking satellites which is the only way to truly neutralize GPS(you can't jam them indefinitely) is its own deterrent. Destroying satellites in space leaves thousands of pieces of debris in space which at that altitute will last possibly hundreds of years. Yes it would limit you adversaries access to space by having all that junk up their but it would affect the attacking county just the same. Oh and inertial navigation is definitely a viable option as well. This would be a completely independent solution Reference this article for more information https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-satellite_weapon Edited August 9, 2017 by TomR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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