navigationshjælpemidler

Navigationshjælp, commonly translated as navigation aids, designates the systems, devices, and procedures used to support safe and accurate navigation. They help mariners determine position, plot a course, avoid hazards, and locate entrances to harbors. Navigation aids span physical infrastructure and electronic technologies.

Physical aids include lighthouses, beacons, day marks, buoys, and range markers, as well as channel and harbor signals and lighted marginal markings. These elements guide vessels by sight or by radar range measurements, particularly in coastal waters and challenging approaches. Electronic and digital aids include global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) receivers for position, VHF radio navigation such as VOR/DME and NDB in some regions, radar to detect traffic and land, and automatic identification systems (AIS) that broadcast vessel data. Electronic charting and information systems (ECDIS) use digital charts to plan and monitor routes, often integrated with sensor data and autopilot.

Standards and management of navigational aids are overseen by international and national authorities. The International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (IALA) sets buoyage conventions and signaling standards; the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) establish legal and frequency frameworks; hydrographic offices publish nautical charts and maintain surveying data. In modern fleets, navigational aids are increasingly integrated into multimodal navigation systems, combining GNSS, radar, AIS, and electronic charts to provide continuous situational awareness. Maintenance, redundancy, and resilience are essential due to vulnerabilities such as signal outages, weather, and interference.