Plain English Meaning

A single navigation station on the ground that gives pilots both their direction to or from the station and their distance from it. It serves civil and military aircraft from the same site.

Full Definition

A ground-based navigation facility that combines a VOR (which provides magnetic bearing information to civil aircraft) and a TACAN (which provides bearing and distance information to military aircraft) at a single co-located site. Civil aircraft use the VOR portion for bearing and the distance-measuring component of the TACAN for DME range information, giving them both bearing and distance from one station.

Context Anchor

Seen on instrument approach charts, en route charts, and approach procedures that use a as the navigation or as a along the .