More resilient “enhanced Long range navigation (eLoran)” will demonstrate Initial Operational Capability (IOC) in June 2021

- the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF) announced a plan for universalization of eLoran –

MOF (Minister MOON, Seong-Hyeok) announced a Plan to propel the commercialization of eLoran to complement the vulnerability of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and to provide a national service of Positioning, Navigating and Timing (PNT) at the sixteenth session of the Ministerial Meeting on Science and Technology.

* eLoran: a terrestrial navigation system that provides the position and the precise timing information calculated by the radio signals from more than three eLoran transmitters.

PNT information is essentially utilized in overall industries such as communications, energies, broadcasting equipment and financial system, and daily lives such as smartphones and navigation service. These PNT related service entirely depends on the Global Positioning Service (GPS) of the United States.

However, GPS is highly vulnerable to radio frequency interference such as jamming since its signal received from the satellites at an altitude of approximately 20,000 kilometers is very weak. When an RFI occurs, it is difficult for aircraft and vessels to identify their positions and continue their operation. In addition, in some areas, mobile phones do not work due to the lack of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), which would lead to huge confusion.

The Republic of Korea has developed eLoran terrestrial transmitter, not satellites since 2016, based on four series jamming experience since 2010.

MOF develop a plan to universalize eLoran service, which contains

①developing advanced technology ②establishing low cost and high efficiency infrastructures ③expanding the service step by step ④promoting international cooperation and new market. The detail contents of the plan are as below:

• ● To promote the utilization of eLoran system in social infrastructure, advanced technology will be developed such as reducing the equipment size technology, improving the error correction technology, and developing security-authentication process. In addition, the MOF leads research and development (R&D) of eLoran related technology(R-Mode*) by 2022 to meet the minimum maritime user requirement of International Maritime Organization (IMO) for marine navigation in harbor entrances and approaches. The navigation system should provide positioning accuracy within 10 meters.

* Ranging-Mode: a novel technology that utilizes the maritime communication infrastructure such as Differential Global Navigation Satellite System (DGNSS) and Automatic Identification System (AIS) / VHF Data Exchange System (VDES) as a navigation source by adding distance measurement signals

• ● To stabilize eLoran system, two existing Loran transmitter (in Pohang and Gwangju) will be upgraded to eLoran transmitter and a new eLoran transmitter will be established until 2022. Afterwards, if it is determined that the pilot service of eLoran system operates stably, additional two eLoran transmitter will be established and the implementation of securing infrastructure for resilient PNT information will be completed.
• ● GPS integrated receivers are going to be equipped at vessels in the public sector such as Korea Coast Guard ships, fishery inspection ships and patrol ships that operate at the maritime boundary in the Yellow Sea to manage its territorial waters. The application is going to be expanded to fishing vessels and commercial ships. In case of timing service, precise time synchronization will be provided to the broadcasting and communication industries. Further, it will expand to other industries such as finance and mobile communication so that the critical national infrastructure can be protected in case GPS is not available.
• ● For safe navigation of deep-sea vessels, the MOF promotes the cooperative of the terrestrial navigation system in China and Russia through the Far East Radio Navigation Service (FERNS)* and solidifying with European countries to actively respond to discussions on designating international standards related to eLoran and R-Mode. In addition, the MOF has a plan to support domestic product in a various way such as introducing the product in the public sector as a pilot service, supporting track records, establishing testbeds to testify the performance and certify product so that domestic product can has international competitiveness in this new market.

* The Far East Radio Navigation Service (FERNS): an agreement signed by the Republic of Korea, the People's Republic of China and the Russian Federation (in December 2000) to promote undiscriminating service and mutual cooperation in radio navigation. Its council is held annually.

“GPS is convenient for our daily lives, but in that signals come from far above, it is vulnerable in RFI,” said Minister Moon. “MOF will actively work with other relevant ministries and government agencies to jointly use eLoran to provide people with more resilient PNT services.”