eLORAN system takes off (GPS backup for Commercial and Naval applications)

[Grey Havoc]

Via Slashdot: http://www.techienews.co.uk/9719822/world-war-ii-tech-eloran-deployed-gps-backup-uk/

General Lighthouse Authorities (GLA) has announced that they have deployed a World War II technology called Long Range Navigation system, which they have named eLoran, in seven ports across Britain to serve as a backup for the existing Global Positioning System (GPS).

GLA notes that modern ships have a lot of equipment that rely on Global Navigation Satellite Systems for functioning and in case of failure the consequences will be disastrous. For this reason technology that doesn’t rely on the GPS was required as a backup. eLoran is a ground-based system rather than satellite-based and is designed to be used in the event of a GPS failure.

 

[Grey Havoc]

South Korea revives GPS backup project after blaming North for jamming (Reuters)

The General Lighthouse Authorities of the UK and Ireland, which tried to pioneer an eLoran system in Europe, conducted simulated communications attacks on ships at sea and said the results "demonstrated the devastating effects of jamming on the ships' electronic bridge systems".

Many vessels, such as fishing boats, lack backup electronic navigation systems.

The United States, Russia and India are all looking into deploying versions of eLoran, which sends a much stronger signal and is harder to jam, as backup.

Installing an eLoran receiver and antenna on a ship would cost thousands of dollars, although cheaper options could include incorporating eLoran systems into satnav devices, according to technical specialists.

South Korea's eLoran initiative dates to 2011, after a series of incidents also blamed on the North, but was stalled in part by a cancellation of contracts due to a conflict over payment schedules with a U.S. supplier.

Its new plan envisions setting up coastal transmitters by the end of 2019, said Seo Ji-won, a professor at Yonsei University in Seoul, who is on a government advisory panel.

A British-led initiative to create an eLoran system was suspended after failing to keep other European countries interested. A private group called Taviga is in talks with European governments to resume support for eLoran, the company said.