Definition
A ground-based navigation facility that combines a VOR (Very High Frequency Omnidirectional Range) and a TACAN (Tactical Air Navigation) station at the same site, sharing a single location and identifier. It provides civil aircraft with VOR azimuth (bearing) information and DME (Distance Measuring Equipment) range information from the TACAN component, while also providing military aircraft with full TACAN azimuth and range. Civil pilots use the VOR portion for direction and the DME portion of the TACAN for distance.
Plain English
A radio navigation station on the ground that tells pilots two things at once: which direction they are from the station, and how far away they are. It serves both civilian and military aircraft from the same site.
Context Anchor
Seen on IFR charts, preferred IFR routes, and route descriptions where a published route uses a named ground navigation station as a fix or turning point.
Derivation
The name is a blend: VOR (the civilian directional system) plus TAC from TACAN (the military system). Combining them at one site avoided duplicate ground stations and gave both communities what they needed from a single facility.
Why Pilots Care
Provides reliable navigation data including bearing and slant-range distance for instrument flight.
Intuition Check
Do not think of a VORTAC as a route by itself. It is a ground station that a route may use as a navigation point.
Example Sentence 1
The cleared route took the flight from the departure airport direct to the VORTAC, then along an airway to the destination.
Example Sentence 2
VORTAC stations are depicted on sectional charts with a specific symbol indicating both VOR and TACAN capabilities.