LORAN (Long Range Navigation) - definition
LORAN (Long Range Navigation) - definition
LORAN (Long Range Navigation) is a long-range radio navigation system based on the measurement of the difference in reception times of radio signals emitted by a network of terrestrial transmitters. It works on the principle of hyperbolic localisation, making it possible to determine the geographical position of a ship, aircraft or other object moving in space by analysing the propagation times of radio waves between a receiver and a pair of transmitting stations.
The LORAN system uses low-frequency (LF) radio waves, which, thanks to their propagation properties, allow the signal to be transmitted over very long distances, often exceeding thousands of kilometres. Each set of transmitters consists of one main station and a number of secondary stations that send synchronised radio pulses at precisely defined time intervals. The receiver compares the moments of arrival of the signals from the different stations and, on this basis, determines a hyperbola of possible locations, and the intersection of several such hyperbolae makes it possible to determine the exact position.
The system was developed during the Second World War in the United States and played an important role in maritime and aeronautical navigation for several Decades. Due to its ability to operate in harsh atmospheric conditions and its independence from satellites, LORAN was considered a stable and fault-tolerant tool to aid spatial orientation, especially in polar and oceanic regions.
The modern version of the system is eLORAN (enhanced LORAN), which offers greater accuracy, synchronisation with atomic time and integration with modern navigation systems, including GPS. With its enhanced immunity to electromagnetic interference and ability to operate under satellite signal interference, eLORAN is being considered as an alternative or backup system to global satellite navigation systems in the context of critical infrastructure security.
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