VOLUME I Multinational Maritime Tactical Instructions and Procedures

CHAPTER 2
Position, Movement, and Maneuvering
MTP 1(D), Vol. I
2100 POSITION/REFERENCE SYSTEMS
SECTION I — POSITION AND MOVEMENT
a. Position can be expressed by any of the following means:
(1) Latitude and longitude. Latitude is expressed before longitude; e.g., 14° N 47° W.
(2) World geographic reference system (Georef).
(3) Grids — Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM), Cartesian Coordinate Grid (CCG), or other
grid promulgated by an appropriate commander.
(4) Bearing and distance in miles, or bearing and range in hundreds of yards.
(5) Station occupied (e.g., Station 3.)
(6) Quick Reference System (QRS).
b. The position may be further defined by an accuracy suffix and/or an altitude or depth indication.
2101 WORLD GEOGRAPHIC REFERENCE SYSTEM
a. Georef is not a true grid; it is merely a convenient means of expressing latitude and longitude for
the purposes of rapid plotting and reporting. Georef may be used whenever a UTM or CCG grid is not
suitable; it shall not be used for naval gunfire support, close fire support, direct air support, or in any other
application where positional information must be reported with accuracy. The system is intended
primarily for inter-Allied use in air operations and in air aspects of antiair warfare operations.
b. Description. Georef is based on a division of the globe into 24 longitudinal zones of 15° each,
lettered from A through Z (omitting I and O) eastward from the 180th meridian; and 12 latitudinal zones of
15° each, lettered from A through M (omitting I) northward from the South Pole. See Figure 2-1.
(1) While relatively few charts have Georef overprints, the lettering system can easily be added on
existing charts by labeling the zones accordingly. Labeled in this manner, any basic 15° area can be located
by first reading right to the desired alphabetical column, and then up to the desired alphabetical
row. The reference symbol for any 15° area in the world consists of only two letters.
-EXAMPLE-
MK indicates a 15° rectangular area with its SW corner at latitude 45° N, longitude 15° W.
(2) Each 15° area is further divided by 15 lettered degree units eastward, and 15 lettered degree
units northward, using in each direction the letters from A through Q (omitting I and O). A 1° area can be
located by the right-up process, and the two-letter designator listed immediately after the two-letter designator
for the 15° area. The reference symbol for any 1° area consists of only four letters.
2-1 ORIGINAL