Overview
- The Defense Innovation Unit and Honeywell flew an Embraer 170 for four hours and 23 minutes without GPS on a test that DIU confirmed Wednesday and reported an 89% improvement in position accuracy over conventional backup navigation.
- MagNav uses quantum magnetometers to read tiny variations in Earth’s magnetic field and match those readings to stored magnetic maps so a plane can locate itself without satellite signals.
- Pilots received live navigation information on standard tablets during the flight, a detail DIU says shows the system can be used without major cockpit redesigns.
- Separate trials this month by Q-CTRL (maritime gravimetry) and Saab UK (quantum timing for radar synchronization) show parallel quantum approaches are reaching field proof of concept.
- Challenges remain before wide use, including aircraft-generated magnetic interference, gaps in magnetic maps, hardware size and cost, and planned follow-up tests such as a C-17 demonstration later in 2026.