VORTAC

An electronic navigation system used by both military and civilian aircraft. The name VORTAC is the combination of the names of two types of navigation equipment: VOR, very-high-frequency omnirange navigation equipment, and TACAN, a military pulse-type tactical navigation system. VOR and TACAN equipment are colocated at a VORTAC station, and signals from both systems are transmitted simultaneously. Military aircraft use the TACAN system for determining their direction and distance from the VORTAC station. Civilian aircraft determine their direction from the station by the VOR and their distance from the station by the distance-measuring portion of TACAN. This distance is shown in the aircraft by the distance measuring equipment (DME).