World War II-era navigation system shut down
Washington -- Good night, Loran.In a series of small ceremonies, the U.S. Coast Guard on Monday shut down Loran-C, a navigation and timing system that has guided mariners and aviators since World War II.
The death blow came last May when President Obama called the system obsolete, saying it is no longer needed in an age in which Global Positioning System devices are nearly ubiquitous in cars, planes and boats.Killing Loran-C will save the government $190 million over five years, Obama said. But supporters of Loran -- including the man known as "the father of GPS" -- say the nation's increasing reliance on GPS paradoxically has increased the importance of maintaining Loran as a backup.
Supporters also argue that the mere existence of Loran makes the GPS satellite system a less attractive target for cyber-thugs, terrorists or future military adversaries.
GPS systems today are used not only for navigation, but also to provide precise timing for ATM machines, cell phone towers, water plants and other enterprises, and positioning information for precision-guided weapons for the military. GPS disruptions can be costly to business, dangerous for travelers, and debilitating to the military.
Vollständiger Text bei CNN.com
Was ist LORAN??
Schade, wieder ein Stück verlässlicher Technik ist Sparmaßnahmen zum Opfer gefallen......... 
Wüsste gar nicht, ob unsere Flieger das überhaupt noch empfangen könnten 
Backup hin oder her, wenn man es flieger- bzw. Airlineseitig nicht mehr nutzen kann, ist es doch eh fürn A*sch.
