R 082044Z FEB 10 ZUI ASN-AM1039000082
FM COGARD NAVCEN ALEXANDRIA VA
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UNCLAS //N16562//


SUBJ: LORAN - END OF AN ERA

1. I AM PLEASED TO CONGRATULATE ALL PRESENT AND PAST LONG RANGE NAVIGATION (LORAN) PERSONNEL FOR OVER 67 YEARS OF OUTSTANDING DEDICATION AND SERVICE IN PROVIDING A HIGHLY RELIABLE NAVIGATION SIGNAL.
    
2. ON 25 MAY 1942, LCDR L. M. HARDING RECEIVED ORDERS TO REPORT TO THE CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS. WITH THIS ASSIGNMENT, LCDR HARDING BEGAN THE UNITED STATES COAST GUARD'S ACTIVE PARTICIPATION IN LORAN DEVELOPMENT CULMINATING WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF LORAN-A IN 1943. FOR THE REMAINDER OF WWII, LORAN-A WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN THE ALLIED SUCCESS PROVIDING ACCURATE ALL WEATHER 24 HOUR RADIONAVIGATION FOR AIR AND SEA FORCES. BY THE END OF WWII, OVER 75,000 RECEIVERS AND 2.5 MILLION LORAN CHARTS HAD BEEN DISTRIBUTED.
    
3. FOLLOWING WWII, LORAN-A BECAME A TOOL PRIMARILY FOR CIVILIAN NAVIGATORS, HOWEVER, THE USAF USED LORAN-A AS LATE AS THE VIETNAM WAR. LORAN-A OPERATED IN THE 1750 TO 1950 KHZ BAND WHICH GAVE IT A DAY/NIGHT RANGE OF
   APPROXIMATELY 800/1600 NM, RESPECTIVELY, AND ACCURACY OF APPROXIMATELY 1 NM. LORAN-A REMAINED IN OPERATION IN NORTH AMERICA UNTIL 1980 SAVING MANY LIVES BY ALLOWING OFFSHORE BOATS IN DISTRESS TO PROVIDE ACCURATE POSITION REPORTS.
    
4. LORAN-C WAS INTRODUCED IN 1957 AND GRADUALLY REPLACED LORAN-A. DURING THE 1970S AND 1980S, THE LORAN-C SYSTEM WAS EXPANDED TO MEET USER NEEDS ACROSS THE CONTINENTAL US AND GULF OF ALASKA. LORAN-C OPERATED AT 100 KHZ, GIVING IT A LONGER RANGE THAN LORAN-A WITH AN ACCURACY OF APPROXIMATELY 0.25 NM. OTHER LORAN SYSTEMS RECEIVED EXPERIMENTAL DEVELOPMENT INCLUDING: LORAN-B (IMPROVED VERSION OF LORAN-A), LORAN-D (MODIFIED LORAN-C DESIGNED FOR SHORT RANGE USE BY USAF BOMBERS), LORAN-F (UNMANNED DRONE NAVIGATION), AND ELORAN (TERM GIVEN TO THE NEXT GENERATION SYSTEM). THIS LEGACY OF LORAN SYSTEMS FURTHER UNDERSCORED LORAN'S IMPACT TO NAVIGATION DURING DECADESOF SERVICE.
    
5. AT 1958Z 08 FEBRUARY 2010 LORAN-C SIGNAL TRANSMISSIONS CEASED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE DHS APPROPRIATIONS ACT. PRIOR TO TERMINATION, COAST GUARD MEN AND WOMEN STOOD THE WATCH, ENDURING LENGTHY FAMILY SEPARATIONS AND REMOTE DUTY LOCATIONS IN THE HARSHEST CLIMATES ALL WHILE MAINTAINING 99.7% CHAIN AVAILABILITY. YOUR DEDICATION ENSURED MISSION SUCCESS IN TIMES OF BOTH WAR AND PEACE. ALTHOUGH THE LORAN SIGNAL HAS CEASED, YOUR SERVICE IS STILL NEEDED TO SUPPORT OTHER CRITICAL MISSION AREAS.
   THANK YOU, MEN AND WOMEN OF THE UNITED STATES COAST GUARD, FOR THE HONOR, RESPECT, AND DEVOTION TO DUTY YOU DISPLAYED OVER 67 YEARS OF LORAN SERVICE.
    
6. BRAVO ZULU TO ALL PAST AND PRESENT LORAN GUARDIANS ON A JOB WELL DONE!

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