eLoran
Enhanced LORAN (commonly known as eLoran; also known as eLORAN, E-LORAN, or e-LORAN) is a long-range radio navigation system that uses terrestrial towers and the hyperbolic navigation technique. It is an advancement in receiver design and transmission characteristics which increase the accuracy and usefulness of traditional LORAN and LORAN-C.
Interest has been renewed by the potential vulnerability of global navigation satellite systems,[1] and their own propagation and reception limitations.[1] With reported accuracy as good as ± 8 meters,[2] the system becomes competitive with unenhanced GPS. eLoran also includes additional pulses which can transmit auxiliary data such as Differential GPS (DGPS) corrections, as well as ensure data integrity against spoofing.[3][4]
eLoran receivers use "all in view" reception, incorporating signals from all stations in range, not solely those from a single Group Repetition Interval (GRI), incorporating time signals and other data from up to forty stations. These enhancements in LORAN make it adequate as a substitute for scenarios where GPS is unavailable or degraded.[5]
In 2017 it was reported by the United States Maritime Association that the United States Coast Guard had reported several episodes of GPS interference in the Black Sea.[6][7] South Korea has claimed that North Korea has jammed GPS near the border, interfering with airplanes and ships.
eLoran systems by country
[edit]United Kingdom
[edit]In 2007, the UK Department for Transport (DfT), awarded a 15-year contract to provide an Enhanced LORAN service to improve the safety of mariners in the UK and Western Europe. The service contract was to operate in two phases, with development work and further focus for European agreement on eLoran service provision from 2007 through 2010, and full operation of the eLoran service from 2010 through 2022. The first eLoran transmitter was situated at Anthorn Radio Station Cumbria.[8] The system was expected to feature seven eLoran transmitters in the UK, however in light of the decision by France and Norway to cease Loran transmissions on 31 December 2015, the UK announced at the start of that month that its eLoran service would be discontinued on the same day, with just the Anthorn transmitter remaining for research purposes.[9][10]
As of 2021, the UK still maintained one eLoran station capable of providing timing information, although a single station is unable to provide positioning data.[11]
In 2025 the UK government announced £155 million investment in Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) infrastructure including £71 million for a UK national eLoran programme.[12]
United States
[edit]By 2018, the United States planned to build a new eLoran system as a complement to and backup for the GPS system.[13][14][15] As of November 2021, no eLoran system has deployed.[11]
South Korea
[edit]In 2013 South Korea announced plans to work towards replacing its Loran-C system with an expanded eLoran system.[16]
The South Korean government has pushed plans to have three eLoran beacons active by 2019, which would be enough to provide accurate corrections for all shipments in the region if North Korea (or anyone else) tries to block GPS again.[13][14][15]
People's Republic of China
[edit]In 2024 it was reported China had completed a nationwide eLoran network.[17]
France
[edit]In 2025 France announced plans to begin collaborating with the UK on resilient PNT.[18]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b Palmer, Jason (23 February 2010). "Sat-nav systems under growing threat from 'jammers'". BBC News.
- ^ "GPS Backup: Is eLoran the answer?". Aviation Today. April 2012. Archived from the original on 26 June 2012. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
- ^ Lo, Sherman; Peterson, Benjamin (3 August 2016). "Enhanced Loran" (PDF).
- ^ Becker, Georg T.; Lo, Sherman; De Lorenzo, David; Qiu, Di; Paar1, Christof; Enge, Per. "Efficient authentication mechanisms for navigation systems – a radio-navigation case study" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 November 2019. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Press office (7 February 2008). "Statement from DHS press secretary Laura Keehhner on the adoption of national backup system to GPS" (PDF). press release. United States Department of Homeland Security. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 May 2008. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
- ^ U.S. Maritime Association. "2017-005A-Black Sea-GPS Interference". Archived from the original on July 1, 2019.
- ^ U.S. Maritime Association. "2017-007-Global-GPS Disruption". Archived from the original on September 28, 2020.
- ^ "The GLAs award a 15-year eLoran contract to Babcock Communications". Trinity House. 31 May 2007. Archived from the original on 19 March 2011. Retrieved 27 May 2010.
- ^ "Notice To Mariners". Trinity House. 1 December 2015. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 30 December 2015.
- ^ "With new space program, UK continues march to more holistic PNT". GPS World. 25 September 2020. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
- ^ a b "ELoran: Part of the solution to GNSS vulnerability". 3 November 2021.
- ^ "Landmark government investment to safeguard the essential signals we all rely on". GOV.UK. Retrieved 2026-06-05.
- ^ a b Gallagher, Sean (7 August 2017). "Radio navigation set to make global return as GPS backup, because cyber". Ars Technica.
- ^ a b "GPS.gov: LORAN-C Infrastructure & E-LORAN". www.gps.gov.
- ^ a b Narins, Mitch (2014-06-03). "The Global Loran / eLoran Infrastructure Evolution: A Robust and Resilient PNT Backup for GNSS" (PDF). GPS.gov. Federal Aviation Administration. Retrieved 2022-11-13.
- ^ GNSS, Inside (2017-08-23). "South Korea Developing an eLoran Network to Protect Ships from Cyber Attacks". Inside GNSS - Global Navigation Satellite Systems Engineering, Policy, and Design. Retrieved 2026-06-05.
- ^ "China completes national eLoran network - GPS World". 2024-10-07. Retrieved 2026-06-05.
- ^ Editor (2025-07-10). "UK and France Renew Ties, Resilient PNT, eLoran a Key Part - Inside GNSS". RNTF. Retrieved 2026-06-05.
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