Editing Tactical air navigation system (section)

==Performance and accuracy==
[[Image:VORTAC TGO Aichtal Germany 01.JPG|thumb|A [[VORTAC|DVORTAC]] installation in Germany; the TACAN antenna is elevated above the center DVOR-antenna on the counterpoise.]]
When initially deployed, TACAN was intended to provide a bearing accuracy of ±0.22°, based on the main bearing signal's own accuracy of ±2° and the corrections applied by the ninth-harmonic auxiliary bearing signal.<ref>{{Citation |title=TACAN Operation - US Navy Training Film 1955 | date=11 September 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qd9BZc-E668 |access-date=2024-03-18 |language=en}}</ref> Theoretically a TACAN should provide a 9-fold increase in [[accuracy]] compared to a VOR, but operational use has shown only an approximate 3-fold increase.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Helfrick |first=Albert D. |url=https://archive.org/details/principlesofavio0000helf/page/62/mode/2up?q=TACAN |title=Principles of Avionics |publisher=Avionics Communications Inc |year=2007 |isbn=978-1-885544-26-1 |edition=4th |pages=62 |access-date=2023-05-29}}</ref>

Operational accuracy of the 135&nbsp;Hz azimuth component is ±1° or ±63 m at 3.75&nbsp;km.<ref name="frs2001">{{cite web | author=Department of Transportation and Department of Defense | date=March 25, 2002 | url=http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/pdf/frp/frp2001/FRS2001.pdf | title=2001 Federal Radionavigation Systems | access-date=November 27, 2005 | archive-date=July 7, 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170707044552/https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/pdf/frp/frp2001/FRS2001.pdf | url-status=dead }}</ref> 

Manufacturers of TACAN sets mention the ability to track stations out to 400NM, though these systems will cap their instrumented range signals at approximately 200NM.<ref>{{Cite web |title=TACAN+ {{!}} Tactical Airborne Navigation System {{!}} L3Harris |url=https://www.l3harris.com/all-capabilities/tacan-tactical-airborne-navigation-system |access-date=2024-03-18 |website=www.l3harris.com |language=en}}</ref> Per official FAA service volume information, reliable TACAN/DME reception can be guaranteed out to 130NM below 45,000 feet above the surface for a high-altitude certified unit.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Navigation Aids |url=https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/atpubs/aim_html/chap1_section_1.html |access-date=2024-03-17 |website=Aeronautical Information Manual |publisher=Federal Aviation Administration}}</ref>

On the first [[Space Shuttle]] flight, [[Capsule communicator|Capcom]] [[Joseph P. Allen]] reported up to the crew that their TACANs had locked onto the Channel 111X signals at [[St. Petersburg, Florida|St. Petersburg]], FL at a range of 250 miles.