Most of the history of Loran for tactical purposes was created during the 1960s and 1970s. As an example, the US DoD fielded air deployable transmitters requiring manned operation into the Vietnam region. The antennas were fixed structures of significant height to realize the large coverage area desired. Other projects used “antennas of opportunity” that may have previously served other LF/MF applications such as radio beacons, or AM broadcast. The antenna at Anthorn in the UK is a “T” antenna strung between two masts of a VLF antenna system. Experiments have also been performed with tethered Aerostats. Finally, there have been projects with shorter quick erect masts for limited range applications.
The inherent flexibility of our advanced LF technology has allowed us to develop new ways to package and deploy eLoran systems. We call these solutions “T3” for Tactical ,Temporary, and Transportable solutions. These solutions include transmitters installed in air transportable containers for military or other missions; antennas (e.g., humanitarian) that are transportable and deployable within 24 hours; and custom solutions that include everything needed to deploy one or more eLoran transmission sites to a remote location.
Our personnel have worked with several T3 Loran and eLoran systems over the years. We have supported, and replaced, the Air Transportable Loran System (ATLS) at the former Loran-C transmission site in Lampedusa, Italy. We have worked with the US Air Force tactical Loran-D system. We were a subcontractor on the triple-CONEX box solution currently deployed at the Anthorn, England eLoran site. We designed, developed, deployed, and operationally tested a prototype T3 solution for the US Army. We have also been involved in two “mini-chain” Loran-C solutions, one along the Saint Lawrence Seaway and one along the Suez Canal.
The UrsaNav™ T3 transmission system consists of a transmitter and UN-2000 eLoran Signal Generation, Monitor and Control System housed in a transportable enclosure and a purpose-built transmit antenna.
