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Pentagon Puts Quantum Navigation to the Test
SandboxAQ’s quantum magnetic navigation software is moving into expanded Pentagon testing. Researchers are working to refine GPS alternatives by understanding when and where magnetic sensing can reliably function.
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The Pentagon is advancing efforts to develop alternatives to GPS through a new agreement with SandboxAQ, whose quantum-based magnetic sensing software is now entering broader military testing. On Tuesday, the company announced an agreement with the Defense Innovation Unit to join the transition of Quantum Sensing program, or TQS, which will enable the military to evaluate its AQNav navigation software across multiple aircraft and operating conditions, according to a release provided exclusively to Defense One. The deal follows earlier testing on Air Force C-17 Globemaster IIIs during exercises in May and July 2023.
Luca Ferrara, general manager of AQNav at SandboxAQ, said the agreement, combined with recent research progress, marks a significant step forward in magnetic navigation. While he noted that practical deploymentsuch as small, inexpensive, self-piloting one-way attack drones navigating independentlyremains years away, the DIU contract underscores growing confidence that researchers are now addressing the right problems.
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Magnetic sensing itself is not new; the uneven magnetic fields within the Earth’s crust define the behavior of a traditional compass. But compass-level precision is far too limited for aircraft or drone navigation. Quantum sensors, though costly and sophisticated, can detect magnetic fields at far greater resolution. Their effectiveness, however, varies significantly depending on local magnetic field conditions. Existing magnetic maps are limited, and testing opportunities for sensors remain constrained.
Ferrara explained that generating detailed magnetic maps requires specialized aircraft loaded with sensors capable of collecting data down to tens of meters of accuracy, under ideal circumstances where magnetometers are placed in “clean” parts of the plane. These conditions offer valuable data but little resemblance to the unpredictable environments where GPS may be disrupted.
To make magnetic navigation viable under contested conditions, researchers must determine where and when these sensors will function reliably. Traditional metrics used to evaluate navigation performancesuch as Required Navigation Performance or the U.S. military’s Circular Error Probablecan produce misleading results when applied to magnetic sensing. SandboxAQ relies heavily on AI to close these analytical gaps.
A recent scientific paper by the company’s chief navigation engineer, Prasenjit Sengupta, published in the December 2025 issue of *Navigation*, outlines a new method to calculate how consistently magnetic navigation errors stay within predictable boundaries. Ferrara likened the metric to a weather report: instead of forecasting clear or cloudy skies, it indicates how “cloudy” the magnetically derived position is.
Ferrara emphasized that magnetic navigation will not fully replace GPS. Instead, understanding its conditions, limitations, and expected performance is essential for integrating it into any broader GPS-backup architecture. “Knowing what the limitations are and working around them with the user” is a key part of that process, he said.
He added that reliability also depends on the onboard sensors’ ability to produce clean, consistent measurements in real time: “Just to be clear, it’s also about having the sensors on board that platform will be able to reliably create clean measurements so that it can know where it is in the moment reliably and well, to the best of our ability, every time.”
Editor’s Note:
This article presents all available details on SandboxAQ’s expanded Pentagon-backed testing of quantum magnetic navigation technology. All information has been retained exactly as reported, with no added commentary or analysis.
