Honeywell's Quantum Navigation System Clears Critical Flight Test
Honeywell Aerospace and the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) have successfully tested a quantum-sensor-based navigation system that allows for GPS-free flight.
The system, part of the MagNav magnetic navigation program, was tested on an Embraer 170 aircraft that flew over the Pacific Ocean without using satellites. The test flight lasted four hours and 23 minutes, with the aircraft making a round trip from Everett Paine Field north of Seattle to the Gulf of Alaska.
The quantum-sensor system delivered position accuracy 89% better than conventional backup navigation would have achieved, according to DIU. The pilots used standard tablets to view the navigation interface, rather than relying on installed avionics, indicating that operators could adopt the system without extensive flight-deck overhauls.
Magnetic navigation relies on quantum magnetometers that detect subtle variations in Earth's magnetic field and cross-reference those readings against a magnetic map to pinpoint an aircraft's location. This method is resistant to jamming or spoofing because it uses a ground-based reference signal rather than a satellite constellation.