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Salient. Victoria University of Wellington Students' Newspaper. Volume 31, Number 20. September 3, 1968

Omega Report Reviewed

Omega Report Reviewed

The long-awaited Royal Society report on Omega has arrived offering little in the way of new facts on the system.

It does, however explain the two major discrepancies between official and unofficial statements.

The 220 yards accuracy quoted by Mr Offen at the Omega Teach-in in July, is the theoretical accuracy of the system under perfect propagation conditions. Under normal conditions the error is increased to 1,200 yards during the day and 2,000 yards at night.

The high level (10 kw.) of radiated power planned will be necessary to give adequate coverage over the tropical thunderstorm regions, but for normal purposes in less noisy areas the 1 kw. quoted by Mr McNeil at the Teach-in would suffice.

It now appears that Omega (to quote US Defence Dept.) will be a "general purpose, completely global, all weather navigation system for use in airborne, surface and submerged submarine applications".

During both peacetime, and a military and civilian naigation system in its own right, and in event of a war at least an auxiliary military aid for less venerable systems.

"Since navigation is so highly important to the success of military missions, more than one system is usually used to satisfy this requirement." (US Defence Dept.)

It seems that because of the extra information, equipment and cost required to attain any degree of accuracy, it will mainly be exploited by the US military.

Furthermore, the US could have offered the system to the UN agency, Civil Aviation Organisation (who are planning a satellite navigation system to be in operation by mid-1970's, and accurate to within a few hundred yards), if their motivations were entirely altruistic. Before the government accepts this base (if it is offered one) it must realise:

  • • That as far as can be ascertained there exists comparable alternative systems in the form of satellite navigation.
  • • That this system lacks the danger that goes with a land base closely connected with any of the major powers.

And protesters must realise:

  • • That it seems foolish and short-sighted not to protest at a base which is not a nuclear target, while at the same time to protest at a nuclear target which is an extension of the very foreign policy which allows the base.

Photo of the President of the USA standing at platform