The Defense Innovation Unit’s latest quantum sensing milestone shows aircraft can safely and accurately navigate vast stretches of ocean without relying on the same GPS that millions of civilians use to move through traffic.
The groundbreaking flight test was a success for MagNav, DIU’s magnetic navigation program, and is a critical advancement for the future of aviation and national security.
“This is a significant win for the department’s quantum sensing priorities, showcasing that MagNav capabilities are no longer a distant research goal,” said Kyle Norman, deputy director of DIU’s Kill Web portfolio. “We moved from problem sourcing to solicitation to prototype in a matter of months.”
The MagNav program launched in spring 2024 under the name “Transition of Quantum Sensing.” A total of 72 companies submitted applications to the commercial solutions opening, with Honeywell Aerospace ultimately selected to move forward with prototype development.
MagNav systems use quantum sensors to read the Earth’s natural magnetic field, turning the planet’s crust into an invisible, unjammable map that allows pilots to navigate safely regardless of weather, time of day or GPS availability.
The Earth’s magnetic field cannot be spoofed or blocked by hostile forces, Norman said. The new technology also significantly improves on legacy backup options such as radar mapping or visual cues like rivers, highways and cities.
The system was installed aboard an Embraer 170 aircraft to demonstrate real-world capabilities. The route took the aircraft over the Pacific Ocean, from Seattle’s Puget Sound to southern Alaska and back.
After four hours and 23 minutes of flying over the ocean without GPS, the MagNav system improved position accuracy by 89% compared to traditional backup navigation methods. The navigation data streamed directly to the pilots in real time via standard tablets, showing that military personnel can field the technology without a massive overhaul of cockpit instruments.
The test mission also added the complexity of the ocean surface — a featureless, constantly shifting expanse that would traditionally require internal sensors in the absence of GPS.
The problem, however, is that classical sensors drift over time. What starts as a small miscalculation can become a massive, dangerous deviation if left unchecked. By reading the Earth’s magnetic signatures, MagNav gives pilots a highly accurate, continuous map even when no visible landmarks exist.
Honeywell and DIU are preparing to demonstrate the technology on a U.S. military C-17 Globemaster III cargo aircraft later this year. By proving that aircraft can maintain pinpoint accuracy over the featureless ocean without GPS, the War Department is taking a significant step toward ensuring that military and commercial pilots can safely reach their destinations, no matter what happens to the satellite networks above them.
By Defense Innovation Unit Staff
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