Unit of competency

Modification History

Application

This unit describes the skills required to navigate using celestial aids, by both day and night, to a destination, within standard tolerances of accuracy, without the use of the normal range of navigation aids.

This unit was developed for military personnel required to operate in a remote, deployed operational environment, but is applicable to any individual who is required to navigate using celestial aids. Alternatively, if an approximate position is known relative to a highway, waterway or coast, where either survival or rescue is better effected, the individual will have sufficient skills and knowledge to remain on a constant bearing and estimate distance travelled.

The skills and knowledge described in this unit must be applied within the legislative, regulatory and policy environment in which they are carried out. Organisational policies and procedures must be consulted and adhered to.

Those undertaking this unit would act autonomously, while performing concrete tasks, in a broad range of contexts which may be highly unpredictable.

No licensing, legislative or certification requirements apply to unit at the time of publication.

Competency Field

Survival

Elements and Performance Criteria

Foundation Skills

The foundation skills demands of this unit have been mapped for alignment with the Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF). The following tables outline the performance levels indicated for successful attainment of the unit.

ACSF levels indicative of performance:

Further information on ACSF and the foundation skills underpinning this unit can be found in the Foundation Skills Guide on the GSA website.

Unit Mapping Information

This unit supersedes and is equivalent to DEFSU012 Navigate using celestial aids.

Links

Companion Volume implementation guides are found in VETNet - https://vetnet.gov.au/Pages/TrainingDocs.aspx?q=6bdbab1e-11ed-4bc9-9cba-9e1a55d4e4a9

Companion Volume implementation guides are found in VETNet - https://vetnet.gov.au/Pages/TrainingDocs.aspx?q=6bdbab1e-11ed-4bc9-9cba-9e1a55d4e4a9

Companion Volume implementation guides are found in VETNet - https://vetnet.gov.au/Pages/TrainingDocs.aspx?q=6bdbab1e-11ed-4bc9-9cba-9e1a55d4e4a9

Assessment requirements

Modification History

Performance Evidence

Evidence required to demonstrate competence must satisfy all of the requirements of the elements and performance criteria. If not otherwise specified the candidate must demonstrate evidence of performance of the following on at least one occasion.

• identifying celestial bodies
• navigating

• five kilometres within a solar day, which may be broken into legs of not less than one kilometre, but must include at least four legs, as part of a navigation circuit; on completion, navigators are to submit a vector diagram detailing their final position relative to their start point accurate to within 10% (of distance and direction)
• five kilometres within eight hours at night, which may be broken into legs of not less than one kilometre, but must include at least four legs, as part of a navigation circuit; on completion, navigators are to submit a vector diagram detailing their final position relative to their start point accurate to within 10% (of distance and direction)

• locating cardinal points and true north

• by day: make adjustments for the shadow arc, dependent upon the time, when using only a partial segment of a solar day (maximum twenty minute fix) to locate the cardinal points; and to indicate true north to within 10% with a sun compass, using a twenty minute fix
• by night: implement contingency skills when there is partial cloud in the night sky; and to employ five different celestial body indication techniques to locate the cardinal points, either directly or through extrapolation via the celestial pole

Knowledge Evidence

Evidence required to demonstrate competence must satisfy all of the requirements of the elements and performance criteria. If not otherwise specified the depth of knowledge demonstrated must be appropriate to the job context of the candidate.

• angles (in degrees)
• basic physics (velocity/distance/time)
• cardinal points (magnetic and true)
• earth’s orbit and rotation in relation to the sun and night sky, including the celestial pole phenomenon
• mathematical calculations including:

• distance travelled:

• velocity x time
• pace length x number of paces

• elapsed time:

• rate of (apparent) movement of sun (15 degrees/hour x solar angle subtended)
• rate of (apparent) movement of night sky around the celestial pole (15 degrees/hour x angle subtended by nominated celestial body)

Assessment Conditions

Competency should be assessed in an actual workplace or in a simulated environment, with access to equipment and infrastructure appropriate to the outcome. Competency should be demonstrated over time to ensure the candidate is assessed across a variety of situations. Competency must be assessed in an area that has an unmodified landscape, with access to pen and paper.

Assessors must satisfy the NVR/AQTF mandatory competency requirements for assessors.

Links

Companion Volume implementation guides are found in VETNet - https://vetnet.gov.au/Pages/TrainingDocs.aspx?q=6bdbab1e-11ed-4bc9-9cba-9e1a55d4e4a9

Companion Volume implementation guides are found in VETNet - https://vetnet.gov.au/Pages/TrainingDocs.aspx?q=6bdbab1e-11ed-4bc9-9cba-9e1a55d4e4a9