Employing a systems approach to the subject, this companion volume to "Position Fixing" provides an explanation of the workings and application of both pulse radar and ARPA systems in the marine environment. Special features include the non-mathematical, practical descriptions of radar systms

Maritime navigation has rapidly developed since the publication of the last edition of the title with methods of global position fixing for shipping becoming standardized. As in the previous two editions, this edition will provide a sound basis for the understanding of modern navigation systems and brings the student or professional up-to-date with the latest developments in technology and the growing standardization of maritime navigation techniques. Developed with close scrutiny from the US Merchant Marine Academy and the major maritime navigation centres in the UK, out-dated techniques have been replaced by an expanded section on the now standard Navstar GPS systems and the Integrated Nav. In addition, a new chapter on the application of electronic charts will also be included, as well as problems at the end of each chapter with worked solutions.

The future safety of maritime transportation in the United States-a major factor in the nation's international trade and economic well-being-will depend heavily on the quality of port and waterways information systems. Many U.S. ports and waterways lack adequate information services, although certain elements of advanced systems are now available in some locations. Barriers to improvements in information systems include the division of responsibilities for waterways management among multiple agencies at all levels of government, a lack of coordination among the federal agencies responsible for waterways management, inadequate budgets for some critical maritime programs, the high costs of some specialized technologies, stakeholder opposition to user fees, limited access to certain key data, the incompatibility of many independently developed systems, and the absence of standards for some attractive technologies. In this report, the second phase of a three-year study by the Committee on Maritime Advanced Information Systems of the National Research Council, a strategy is presented for overcoming the major barriers and deficiencies and providing a minimum level of maritime safety information nationwide. In this phase of the study, the committee concentrated on maritime information systems that promote safety, which is the area of greatest need. The committee did not examine in detail the relationship between navigation safety and maritime transportation efficiency or evaluate information systems that promote efficiency; the committee believes, however, that these issues deserve further attention.