NAVIGATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE MARITIME COMMUNITY

There are segments of the maritime community that seem to imply increasingly stringent requirements in respect to radio navigation systems. There is at this time no general consensus of users or user groups for the requirements of a radio navigation system for the high seas. A radio navigation system for use on the high-seas should be adaptable to a high degree of automation such as in a computerized integrated ship conning system. When manually operated it should be simple and quick. In all fairness to the commercial user, he should be supplied with useful synopsis of systems he would be asked to consider in the fulfillment of his requirements. Each synopsis should include information on: general description of the system; coverage, accuracy in various parts of the coverage area; reliability and availability of the system; time required to obtain data; form of output data; capability for integration with other systems; operator skill required; direct or indirect cost to the user.