Image: U. S. Coast Guard
What’s New: An Air Force press release about an eLoran demonstration, along with some surprising statements about future deployment and use.
Why It’s Important: The U.S. government has been talking about GPS vulnerability, a backup and complementary capability, and using eLoran for decades. Despite promises, though, real action has been lacking. This announcement says:
- “The eLoran system works where GPS does not and has the potential to be faster and more accurate.” – Hmmm, not sure about all of that.
- eLoran is faster to first fix than GPS. It is a much, much stronger signal – easier to acquire and lock on to.
- Also, an eLoran receiver always knows which way it is facing. Ever start up GPS and have your software tell you to turn in the wrong direction because you haven’t been moving and it doesn’t know which way you are facing? Not a problem with eLoran. Initial direction/heading on startup could be essential in some military and other critical applications.
- Not sure about “more accurate.” eLoran with differential corrections has been shown to be good to w/in 50ft. GPS is normally accurate to 21 feet or better. But then, GPS wiggles sometimes for various reasons and isn’t that accurate. So, yeah, in those situations, eLoran is more accurate.
- “ it [eLoran] is going to be used in conjunction with GPS to help mitigate spoofing operations in contested environments” – Wow, that sounds like a contract is going to be let.
- “The aim is to use the existing terminal sites with modern upgrades to cover the entire continental U.S. with an eLoran system, using only three navigational towers.” – Wow again.
- Practical questions:
- What existing terminal sites?
- Only three towers? As far as we know, eLoran transmitters have a range of about 800 nautical miles over land. So even if they were just providing timing that is a big stretch. Would be really a stretch to provide navigation also. Maybe there have been tech advances we don’t know about.
- This sounds like a major policy decision that reverses earlier government policy.
- We are beginning to wonder if the public affairs person who put together this release might have been a bit over-enthusiastic. – Although, they had to get this info from somewhere.
- Practical questions:
What Else to Know:
- There has been a lot of interest in eLoran recently. For example:
- The UK, China, South Korea, and Saudi Arabia all have or are upgrading systems to eLoran. Russia’s Chayka is equivalent to Loran-C and may have been or be in the process of being upgraded.
- The EU has advertised for construction of an integrated miniature GNSS/eLoran receiver.
- The Air Force developed a deployable version of Loran called Loran-D in the 70’s. See for example this ION paper from 1974.
- We have been told by credible sources that one reason the U.S. shut down its Loran system in 2010 instead of upgrading it to eLoran as a GPS backup was because some folks didn’t want it competing in the budget with the very expensive GPS program. Interesting that the Air Force and L3Harris, one of the prime contractors for GPS, are involved with this eLoran demo.
Innovation Cell hosts eLoran Demonstration
MOUNTAIN HOME AIR FORCE BASE, Idaho — The 366th Fighter Wing Innovation Cell STRIKE WERX hosted the eLoran Co-Primary Positioning, Navigation, and Timing Demonstration on Jan. 30-31, 2024.
“The eLoran system is a modern take on the long-range navigation system that was used in the ‘60s and ‘70s, and it is going to be used in conjunction with GPS to help mitigate spoofing operations in contested environments,” said Tech. Sgt. Steven Pyott, 366th FW Innovation Cell chief project officer.
In this case spoofing means to mess with, such as someone trying to jam the system.
The eLoran system works where GPS does not and has the potential to be faster and more accurate. MHAFB was the ideal test station because it offers all of the geographic features the companies involved were looking to test.
The original Loran system was established by the Coast Guard in the 1940s but was shut down and the system went stagnant. The aim is to use the existing terminal sites with modern upgrades to cover the entire continental U.S. with an eLoran system, using only three navigational towers. Work on the project began at MHAFB in August 2023.
Representatives from the Air Force Research Laboratory, Hellen Systems, Department of Energy, Department of Transportation, Homeland Security, U.S. Coast Guard, L3Harris, Microchip and Cambridge University came to MHAFB to share data and view the eLoran receivers set up around the base.
During the demonstration, the group ran a test on one of the eLoran receivers while being submerged 10 feet underwater. The receiver had the capability to be reset and powered off, then turned back on and re-establish connection in less than 30 seconds. The same test done with GPS could take up to 30 minutes.
The eLoran system was also used in conjunction with a Solar Portable Power Cell in a long-term test. The goal is to eventually make the receivers vehicle-mountable for deployments.
The SPPC was designed by Pyott as an alternative power source that is cheaper and more efficient than a generator.
The 366th FW Innovation Cell has supported a number of projects, including the SPPC, a VR system using Oculus to work on aircraft systems, the Electronic Warfare Operations Kit and the VB Cordon used to measure where to cordon off areas on a map.
“The Gunfighter legacy is full of innovators,” said Col. Michael Alfaro, 366th Fighter Wing commander. “Challenging the status quo is a part of who we are. We are constantly looking for new and better ways to perform our jobs and complete the mission, and today’s idea could determine how we win tomorrow’s fight.”
The Gunfighter Innovation Cell is currently seeking interns and looking to expand their capabilities! If you have an idea you think can make a positive impact on your work center or the Air Force, reach out to them at any of the means below or drop your idea in their suggestion box.
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Something for the techies out there – a Loran pulse:
