DME allows a pilot to determine the airplane's distance from a point on the ground that has a DME station. In and of itself, this is useful, but combined with a VOR, pilots can determine their location with excellent accuracy. Like VORs, DME is supposed to be replaced by GPS, and in practice often is. Also like VORs, the abbreviation is universally used; no one says “distance measuring equipment.

Aircraft navigational equipment that provides the slant range distance in miles (kilometers) from the aircraft to the VOR station to which the DME is tuned, usually at or near an airport.

Electronic equipment used to measure, in nautical miles, the slant range of the aircraft from a navigation aid.