Tacan

/ ˈtækən /

noun

1. an electronic ultrahigh-frequency navigation system for aircraft which gives a continuous indication of bearing and distance from a transmitting station

Word History and Origins

Origin of Tacan¹

C20: tac ( tical ) a ( ir ) n ( avigation )

Example Sentences

The park’s owner is planning to expand the campground, but archivists and Vince Tacan, chief of the Sioux Valley Dakota Nation, oppose it.

From Washington Post

Last week the House Commerce Committee, after reviewing the controversy and the still-secret development of Tacan, turned up a shocking note: since 1948 the Navy and Air Force have spent $176 million to develop Tacan, but they candidly admit that it is still full of bugs.

From Time Magazine Archive

Omni-DME is slightly more accurate for distance; Tacan is slightly better on direction.

From Time Magazine Archive

By 1952 word leaked�out that the Navy-inspired Tacan would make Omni-DME obsolete.

From Time Magazine Archive

The Air Force, which found the Navy system less sensitive to rough terrain than Omni-DME, backed Tacan.

From Time Magazine Archive