The omega radionavigation system comes to the pacific ocean area

Abstract

The Omega radionavigation system is a Very Low Frequency (VLF) system operating in the 10-14 kHz band which will enable navigators to obtain positional data on a worldwide and nearly continuous basis when the system is in full operation with eight transmitting stations. Two transmitting stations have been in operation in the Pacific Ocean area for sometime at Tsushima, Japan and Oahu, Hawaii. In addition, the Pacific region receives usable transmissions from Omega stations in Aldra, Norway; La Moure, North Dakota; La Reunion, Indian Ocean and Golfo Nuevo, Argentina. A final station is planned for siting in the South Pacific area, and probably will be located in Australia. Even without the final station network established, adequate Omega navigation coverage is now available in large portions of the Pacific Ocean area. An important element in the operational development of the Omega system is the collection of system data through a network of monitoring stations. The Omega monitoring program, the processing of the collected data, the analysis of predicted and observed signal coverage, and other steps in Omega system validation are necessary to provide the navigating community with a viable radionavigation system for the Pacific Ocean area.