NELS status 31th Annual Convention & Technical Symposium ILA October 27-30, 2002 Washington D.C NELS Co-ordinating Agency Office (CAO) Gunn Marit Hernes Northwest European Loran-C SystemCo-ordinating Agency Office 28/10/02

Northwest European Loran-C SystemCo-ordinating Agency Office 28/10/02 NELS status NELS Agreement NELS member positions NELS observer positions NELS dialogue with industry NELS privatization NELS decision process Conclusions

Northwest European Loran-C SystemCo-ordinating Agency Office 28/10/02 NELS Agreement

Northwest European Loran-C SystemCo-ordinating Agency Office 28/10/02 Through the NELS Agreement the six NELS member nations have committed themselves to run Loran-C until the 31st December 2005 However, some NELS nations indicated on a NELS SC meeting in May 2001 that they do not see a future need for Loran-C as a publicly funded navigation system

Northwest European Loran-C SystemCo-ordinating Agency Office 28/10/02 The future of NELS and Loran-C in Europe has since then been on the agenda for discussion in the NELS Steering Committee meetings. In order to withdraw from the NELS Agreement, each NELS member nation needs to notify the Depositary within April 2004

Northwest European Loran-C SystemCo-ordinating Agency Office 28/10/02 Any Party which has not given notice of denunciation within April 2004 will remain bound by the Agreement for further consecutive periods of seven years. The possibility to decrease a consecutive period to less than 7 years is currently investigated.

Northwest European Loran-C SystemCo-ordinating Agency Office 28/10/02 NELS member positions

Northwest European Loran-C SystemCo-ordinating Agency Office 28/10/02 Germany Will denunciate the NELS Agreement. Loran- C in Germany may be continued, but then as a privatized “system” (Sylt). Denmark Will withdraw from the NELS Agreement unless the need for Loran-C in Europe should be stated in a Radionavigation plan for Europe

Northwest European Loran-C SystemCo-ordinating Agency Office 28/10/02 Norway Will withdraw from the Agreement, if there is no substantial change in the situation for Loran-C in the near future The following elements may change the Norwegian decision:

Northwest European Loran-C SystemCo-ordinating Agency Office 28/10/02  A positive long-term decision on Loran-C in US  A user demand for Loran-C  Availability of commercial state-of-the-art integrated Loran-C/GNSS receivers  A Norwegian Defence demand for Loran-C  Loran-C included in the European Radio Navigation Plan

Northwest European Loran-C SystemCo-ordinating Agency Office 28/10/02 The Netherlands Will withdraw from the NELS Agreement unless it can be documented that there is a  a safety need for Loran-C  a security need for Loran-C  or a user demand for Loran-C

Northwest European Loran-C SystemCo-ordinating Agency Office 28/10/02 Ireland No formal decision on prolongation or denunciation has been taken. A questionnaire and a consultation document are currently being circulated to Loran-C stakeholders within the marine field of navigation in order to map the need for Loran-C. Evaluated results will be available early The results will influence on the Irish decision.

Northwest European Loran-C SystemCo-ordinating Agency Office 28/10/02 France Will continue to operate the two French Loran- C stations and CCB, independently of what happens with NELS. France is interested in a continuation of the NELS Agreement, but is also open for other ways of running a European system.

Northwest European Loran-C SystemCo-ordinating Agency Office 28/10/02 NELS observer positions

Northwest European Loran-C SystemCo-ordinating Agency Office 28/10/02 UK (NELS observer) UK would like to see Loran-C as a terrestrial backup to GNSS pending improved coverage to the west of the British Isles. An application by UK to NELS has been tabled, but put on hold. Italy (NELS observer) The Italian representatives will resume Loran-C operations in the Mediterranean if other countries implement additional stations serving that area

Northwest European Loran-C SystemCo-ordinating Agency Office 28/10/02 Austria (NELS observer) Austria is interested in Loran-C as a complement to GNSS, but suffer from bad coverage. Austria in cooperation with Czechoslovakia may be interested in putting up a new station, but await a decision on the future for NELS before any national initiatives are taken. EC (NELS observer) Consider it up to the actual users and system providers to use or not use a technology or a system

Northwest European Loran-C SystemCo-ordinating Agency Office 28/10/02 NELS dialogue with industry

Northwest European Loran-C SystemCo-ordinating Agency Office 28/10/02 NELS SC has started a dialogue with the industry The first meeting between the NELS SC and the industry was arranged on 13 June 2002 in Munich. As a follow up from the meeting in Munich the NELS Steering Committee received two proposals from industrial representatives present at the meeting.

Northwest European Loran-C SystemCo-ordinating Agency Office 28/10/02 Both proposals were presented and discussed at an extraordinary Steering Committee meeting in Brüssel 12 September. On the Steering Committee meeting last week a proposal from Reelektronika was approved.

Northwest European Loran-C SystemCo-ordinating Agency Office 28/10/02 Reelektronika will supported by the NELS Steering Committee  develop a miniaturised integrated Loran- C/GNSS receiver  implement a ”TOC-less” UTC service in NELS. A new meeting with the industry will be arranged in conjunction with the NAV 02 conference in London 5-7 November. At this meeting the NELS SC will try to approach the provider side.

Northwest European Loran-C SystemCo-ordinating Agency Office 28/10/02 NELS privatization

Northwest European Loran-C SystemCo-ordinating Agency Office 28/10/02 All NELS nations can or possibly can accept privatization of NELS, e.q sale of system including a licence to operate. A possible privatization of NELS will be addressed when a continuation/denunciation of the NELS Agreement has been decided.

Northwest European Loran-C SystemCo-ordinating Agency Office 28/10/02 NELS decision process

Northwest European Loran-C SystemCo-ordinating Agency Office 28/10/02 Norway and the Netherlands needs to take a a decision on their continuation/denunciation of the NELS Agreement within June 2003 (national budgetary reasons) Denmark, France and Germany have already taken a decision Irland will take a decision spring  NELS milestone, June 2003

Northwest European Loran-C SystemCo-ordinating Agency Office 28/10/02 The following elements may influence a decision on a continuation/denunciation of NELS:  A considerable increase in the number of Loran- C users  Integrated state-of-the-art Loran-C/GNSS receivers and stand-alone Loran-C receivers available for reasonable prices

Northwest European Loran-C SystemCo-ordinating Agency Office 28/10/02  A need for Loran-C stated in a European Radio Navigation Plan  A documented need for Loran-C of safety reasons  A documented need for Loran-C of security reasons  A positive long-term decision on the future for Loran-C in US.

Northwest European Loran-C SystemCo-ordinating Agency Office 28/10/02 The next regular SC meeting is scheduled March 10-11, The only item on the agenda for this meeting will be the NELS future. At the meeting it is expected that  A decision on the long-term operation of Loran-C in US is public available

Northwest European Loran-C SystemCo-ordinating Agency Office 28/10/02  The Trinity House study (GPS Vulnerability & Mitigation measures) on behalf of the European Maritime Radionavigation Forum is presented for and evaluated by the European Radio Navigation Plan WG  Results from an evaluation of the need for Loran-C in Irland is available  Results from the evaluation of the need for Loran-C within the Norwegian Defence is available  Further progress within development of integrated as well as stand- alone Loran-C receivers can be documented

Northwest European Loran-C SystemCo-ordinating Agency Office 28/10/02 A follow-up SC meeting is scheduled in week 20 (mid May) A final decision related to the continuation /denunciation of NELS can be expected June A denunciation of NELS does not mean that Loran-C in Europe will be stopped. NELS may from 31 December 2005 not be the operational organisation for Loran-C in Europe

Northwest European Loran-C SystemCo-ordinating Agency Office 28/10/02 Conclusions The NELS future will be settled in June If the NELS Agreement is denunciated the Steering Committee will look into a possible privatization of the system If it is not possible to privatize the system, it is left to each nation to decide what to do with their Loran-C infrastructure

Northwest European Loran-C SystemCo-ordinating Agency Office 28/10/02 Conclusions cont. Independent of what happens with NELS – the NELS SC have agreed that Loran-C shall be continued in Europe with (at least) the same level of operational performance as today until (at least) 31 December 2005.