[time-nuts] LORAN-C demise

[ken hartman]

Given the confusing and seemingly ambiguous infomation on the .gov site, a
clearer picture is given by this announcement:

http://www.gpsworld.com/gnss-system/news/coast-guard-jettisons-loran-9178

excerpted below:

Coast Guard Jettisons Loran
November 25, 2009
------------------------------

The U.S. Coast Guard Commandant has formally certified that termination of
the Loran-C signal will not adversely impact maritime navigation, signing a
document to that effect on November 20 and forwarding it to the Secretary of
Homeland Security Janet Napolitano. The first of the two criteria for
terminating the Loran-C signal has thus been met.

Anticipated next steps include a Coast Guard ALCOAST Internet message
release on this topic, the release of the Programmatic Environmental Impact
Statement Record of Decision, and a Federal Register Notice, all measures en
route to executing the termination of the Loran-C signal.

Actual termination depends upon a final determination by DHS Secretary
Napolitano that the Loran-C infrastructure is not required as a backup to
GPS. Until then, the Coast Guard will continue  moving towards termination
while operating the system. If/when that determination is made, actual
termination will take place.
For a recent *GPS World* blog and readers' comments on this subject, see Wide
Awake with No Back-Up<http://www.gpsworld.com/gnss-system/wide-awake/wide-awake-with-no-back-9168>
.

Inevitable , but still a misguided shame.