Chapter 8 Aids to Navigation Services
I Current State of Aids to Navigation
JCG is promoting functional improvements, such as the establishment of new Aids to Navigation facilities as well as increasing the brightness of existing Aids to Navigation, and flash synchronization, in order to respond to the maritime traffic environment which experiences changes as a result of the development of ports and harbors and navigation channels and the increase of vessels' speed.
Furthermore, JCG systematically carries out improvements and repairs, such as restoring worn-out Aids to Navigation facilities and equipment and strengthening Aids to Navigation Remote Control and Monitoring Systems in order to heighten reliability of existing Aids to Navigation.
Aids to Navigation are broadly classified into visual Aids to Navigation (lighthouses and lighted buoys, etc.), radio Aids to Navigation (Loran-C stations, Differential Global Positioning Systems (DGPS), Radio Beacon Stations, etc.), audible Aids to Navigation (fog signal stations) as well as other aids (Vessel Traffic Signal Stations and Tidal Stream Signal Stations). As of the end of FY 1999, JCG had installed and has been managing a total of 5,534 Aids to Navigation with 5,356 visual Aids to Navigation, 127 radio Aids to Navigation, 20 audible Aids to Navigation, and 31 other aids.
