Current Status and Prospects for the Development of the Standards Base of the National Service for Time, Frequency, and the Determination of the Parameters of the Earth’s Rotation

Abstract

secondary standards of the GSVCh are presented. Areas for further development and improvement of the standards are discussed. Keywords: standards base, National service for time, frequency, and determination of the parameters of the Earth's rotation, primary and secondary standards.Data on the national time scale of the Russian Federation UTC(SU) are widely used in all spheres of government activity and ensure highly precise synchronization of many technical systems used in astronautics, navigation, communication, and transport, as well as in banking, customs and logistical operations, and also in national defense and security. Information on the exact time, calendar date, and the earth's rotation parameters distributed by the National Service for Time, Frequency, and Determination of the Parameters of the Earth's Rotation (GSVCh) is essential for users in the Russian Federation.The GSVCh is managed by the Federal Agency for Technical Regulation and Metrology (Rosstandart), and the activity of the Service is regulated by the Decree on the National Service for Time, Frequency, and Determination of the Parameters of the Earth's Rotation [1]. The GSVCh carries out its scientific-technical and metrological activities using various technical means and systems. One of these basic technical systems is its standards base. The standards for the units of time and frequency are supplied by the Main Metrological Center (GMTs), Metrological Control Points (PMK), and the means for transfer of standard time and frequency signals (ESChV).The standards base of the GSVCh is intended to ensure the uniformity of measurements of time and frequency in the country and to meet domestic demand for information on exact time, standard frequencies, and the UTC(SU) scale. The foundation of the standards base of the GSVCh is the National Primary Standard for the Units of Time, Frequency, and the National Time Scale GET 1-2012 and the Rosstandart secondary standards for the units of time and frequency. The standards base also includes the standards for the units of time and frequency of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation and other federal executive agencies. The scientific, methodological, and operational work for ensuring continuous functioning and development of the equipment in the standards base is carried out by the main metrological center (GMTs) of GSVCh, which calculates UTC(SU) on the basis of GET 1-2012. The information published by the GMTs is official and generally available to all users.