Editing Radio navigation (section)

{{Short description|Use of radio-frequency electromagnetic waves to determine position on the Earth's surface}}
[[Image:Accuracy of Navigation Systems.svg|300px|right]]

'''Radio navigation''' or '''radionavigation''' is the application of [[radio wave]]s to [[geolocalization|determine a position]] of an object on the [[Earth]], either the vessel or an obstruction.<ref name=DuttonNN15>{{cite book|last=Dutton|first=Benjamin|title=Dutton's Nautical Navigation|year=2004|publisher=Naval Institute Press|isbn=155750248X|pages=154–163|edition=15|chapter=15 – Basic Radio Navigation}}</ref><ref name=Kay-Fried-ANS>{{cite book|last=Kayton|first=Myron|title=Avionics Navigation Systems|year=1997|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|pages=99–177|author2=Walter R. Fried |chapter=4 – Terrestrial Radio-Navigation Systems}}</ref>  Like [[radiolocation]], it is a type of [[Radiodetermination-satellite service|radiodetermination]].

The basic principles are measurements from/to [[electric beacon]]s, especially
* [[Direction (geometry)|Angular directions]], e.g. by bearing, radio phases or interferometry,
* [[Distance measuring equipment|Distances]], e.g. [[ranging]] by measurement of [[time of flight]] between one transmitter and multiple receivers or vice versa,
* Distance ''differences'' by measurement of [[multilateration|times of arrival]] of signals from one transmitter to multiple receivers or vice versa
* Partly also [[velocity]], e.g. by means of radio [[Doppler shift]].{{fact|date=July 2022}}

Combinations of these measurement principles also are important—e.g., many radars measure range and azimuth of a target.{{fact|date=July 2022}}