GPS backup buy-in

eLoran is a land based radio navigation system, proven to seamlessly take over in the event of a GPS outage.

GPS signals can be easily disrupted by solar flares and space weather, as well as GPS jammers which are available cheaply online and are capable of causing complete outages.

Loss of GPS can affect not only a vessel’s navigation systems but also the AIS, RADAR and communications systems, all of which rely on GPS data.

To counter this risk, the General Lighthouse Authorities of the UK and Ireland (GLAs), who are responsible for safety of marine navigation off the coast of the UK and Ireland, last year announced the rollout of eLoran stations to bolster navigational safety at seven of the UK’s busiest ports: Dover, Harwich, Thames, Humber, Middlesbrough, Firth of Forth, and Aberdeen. eLoran technology is based on longwave radio signals and is independent and complementary to GPS. The UK is the first in the world to deploy this technology for shipping companies operating both passenger and cargo services.

Martin Bransby, Research and Radionavigation manager at the General Lighthouse Authorities of the UK and Ireland, said: “Shipping lanes are becoming busier and more perilous than ever, whilst mariners are becoming increasingly reliant on one, fallible, source of PNT data. This presents a significant risk to the safety and efficiency of vessels, particularly in congested areas like ports. eLoran reduces the vulnerability of vessels by ensuring the uninterrupted provision of position, navigation and timing data even when GPS is down. As a terrestrial system, eLoran signals are much stronger when received than GPS, making it exceptionally difficult to interrupt.”

eLoran receivers are now commercially available, and the service is free to use. Full operational capability covering all major UK ports is expected by 2019.

By Jake Frith