The AN/ARN-153(V) from Collins Aerospace is an Advanced Digital Tactical Airborne Navigation (TACAN) Receiver-Transmitter System. It has a Tx frequency range from 1025 to 1150 MHz, an Rx frequency range from 962 to 1213 MHz and provides coverage up to 390 nautical miles. This system has 252 channels and supports four modes of operation: receive mode, transmit-receive mode, air-to-air receive mode, and air-to-air transmit-receive mode. It measures the slant-range distance and relative bearing to a selected ground station or an airborne beacon and computes velocity and time-to-go to that station.
This TACAN system has an optional configuration that measures the slant-range distance to three selected ground stations for RHO-RHO or DME-DME area navigation. When used with the optional 938Y-1 rotating antenna and a control unit, the system also provides bearing to an air-to-air TACAN that is transmitting an unmodulated squitter, as well as bearing to DME-only ground stations.
The AN/ARN-153(V) requires a DC supply of 28 V and consumes 1.5 A of current. It has an optimized output power design that supports the operational requirements of high-performance aircraft by providing a minimum 500 W transmit capability over the full range of environments. The AN/ARN-153(V) also includes enhanced BIT circuitry that retains failure information even after the unit has been powered down. It has a robust interface design that supports a variety of digital and analog interfaces simultaneously. Digital interfaces include dual MIL-STD-1553B buses and ARINC 429, 568, or 582 buses providing range, bearing, frequency, velocity, and time to station.
