Shoran, short for _sho_rt _ra_nge _n_avigation, a precision electronic system once used for aerial navigation over short distances. Unlike earlier systems, in which aircraft simply received signals from ground stations, an airplane using shoran broadcasts radio signals to two ground stations. The ground stations then rebroadcast the signals back to the airplane. Electronic instruments on the airplane record the time interval between sending each signal and receiving the reply. This time and the speed of radio waves is used to calculate the distance between the plane and the ground stations.
Shoran was developed during World War II (1939-1945) by the United States Army Air Forces and private industry. The use and development of shoran contributed to the development of other electronic navigation systems, which have largely replaced it.
See also Navigation .
