GPS World

Tag: SandboxAQ

  • SandboxAQ, Defense Innovation Unit advance quantum navigation for GPS-denied operations

    SandboxAQ, Defense Innovation Unit advance quantum navigation for GPS-denied operations

    SandboxAQ has entered an agreement with the Defense Department’s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) to join its Transition of Quantum Sensing (TQS) program, focusing on developing and testing advanced magnetic anomaly navigation technologies for the U.S. military’s autonomous systems.

    The program, managed under DIU’s Emerging Technologies portfolio, accelerates adoption of commercial quantum sensing technologies to ensure positioning, navigation and timing resilience in environments where Global Navigation Satellite Systems signals are unreliable or denied. SandboxAQ will deploy its dual-use AQNav software to enable robust navigation capabilities without reliance on external signals, demonstrating the technology’s utility in real-world scenarios and generating a comprehensive dataset to benchmark results against relevant Defense Department use cases.

    “AQNav represents a vital, non-GPS-reliant path for PNT and has proven its readiness for expanded military demonstrations and evaluation across mission-critical platforms,” said Luca Ferrara, general manager of AQNav at SandboxAQ. “We’re demonstrating AQNav’s performance capabilities across DIU-relevant use cases to empower the DOD to solve complex PNT challenges with best-in-class technologies at its disposal.”

    About the Transition of Quantum Sensing Program

    The program is a strategic effort to accelerate adoption of advanced quantum sensors from the laboratory into real-world military applications. Its primary goal is to address critical joint force needs, particularly for resilient positioning, navigation and timing in GPS-denied environments and for next-generation anomaly detection.

    More on Magnetic Navigation

    DIU is addressing the DOD’s urgent need for jam-resistant navigation for aerial platforms operating in challenging environments. The effort focuses on prototyping magnetic navigation systems, which use advanced quantum magnetic sensors to navigate using Earth’s natural geomagnetic variations. The technique provides a resilient source of position data even in GPS-denied scenarios, such as over-ocean operations, reduced visibility and electronic jamming.

  • Navigation tools aim to compliment GPS

    Navigation tools aim to compliment GPS

    News from the Chicago Quantum Exchange

    Quantum technologies may offer a solution to GPS jamming and spoofing, according to the University of Chicago. Already, prototypes are being tested of a suite of sensor-based techniques that do not rely on satellite signals. 

    GPS jamming and spoofing have emerged as growing threats in recent years, according to the Chicago Quantum Exchange, based at the university. In 2024 alone, more than 1,000 commercial flights per day were affected by GPS spoofing, especially while flying through regions like the Middle East and Eastern Europe. 

    During these incidents, in-flight instruments show pilots that their aircraft is flying higher or lower than they truly are or that they are miles off their actual location. In maritime settings, spoofed GPS signals have even caused ships to veer off course or run aground. These are not isolated glitches but the result of deliberate electronic warfare tactics.

    Corporate partners of the Chicago Quantum Exchange, including Boeing, Infleqtion and SandboxAQ, are among those developing applications. The CQE is a hub that connects leading universities, national labs, and industry partners to advance quantum technology.

    “Governments and the commercial industry are in dire need of this technology,” said Ken Devine, senior product manager for quantum navigation at SandboxAQ. “The geopolitical issues happening across the world, and the ramp up in both jamming and spoofing — Russia, Ukraine, the Middle East, Israel, Iran — everyone’s getting super disruptive, and that’s not going to go away anytime soon. Everyone is saying, ‘We basically need this yesterday.’”

    In May 2023, SandboxAQ completed the first of many flight tests for the United States Air Force and its commercial aviation partners, including two major Air Force exercises that year. 

    In 2024, Boeing completed the world’s first recorded flight using multiple quantum navigation systems, testing the ability of these sensors to navigate across the central U.S. for four hours without GPS. 

    The Boeing test incorporated two different technologies. The first is a magnetic field-based navigation system called AQNav from SandboxAQ, It uses map matching, though the map that they use is of the Earth’s crustal magnetic field rather than terrain. Infleqtion is investigating both techniques. The second is an inertial navigation system from quantum sensing technology company AOSense. 

    Jay Lowell, principal senior technical fellow at Boeing, said it was vital to consider “whether and how” the different technologies could be used together. “Maybe that means a tradeoff of performance between sensors in moments where one struggles and the other’s strong,” Lowell said. “Fundamentally, it means we just need to understand whether their combined data is better than either one alone.”

    Detecting tiny changes 

    Inertial navigation depends on accelerometers and gyroscopes — which respectively measure acceleration and rotation — to measure movement. An inertial sensor tracks how an object moves from a known starting point by recording changes in its speed and direction.

    While basic accelerometers are common in smartphones and fitness trackers, quantum inertial sensors can detect changes in motion down to the femtometer — less than the width of an atom — making them extraordinarily precise. Inertial sensors have applications in space-based technology, since they do not need maps or fixed points to navigate. 

    Infleqtion recently completed commercial flight trials of inertial-based quantum navigation in the United Kingdom and plans to conduct tests in the U.S. as well. Infleqtion’s Chicago office is also developing an AI-powered tool called SAPIENT that won first place in the U.S. Army’s xTechScalable competition.

    “[SAPIENT] is focusing on the software side, taking the outputs of multiple kinds of sensors and stitching them all together with AI to provide a more robust navigation signal,” said Pranav Gokhale, general manager of computing at Infleqtion. “There is a big gap between an inertial measurement unit and a full inertial navigation system, so we’re using AI to fill that gap.”

    Alternatively, magnetic navigation, or MagNav, works much like terrain-following radar, comparing real-time sensor data to a known map to pinpoint location. 

    But instead of elevation, the aircraft senses subtle magnetic fluctuations in the Earth’s crust — variations caused by geology, mineral deposits and even human infrastructure — and compares its measurements to a corresponding map of that field. 

    Scientists believe that birds can use their ability to sense the Earth’s magnetic field to navigate in a similar way. Magnetic field maps of the globe are frequently done for mineral, oil and gas surveys, as small anomalies in the field can indicate resources underground. But there are areas where high-resolution maps can be hard to come by. 

    “Map quality in the region you’re going to is definitely a factor that gets plugged into how well magnetic navigation can perform,” Devine said. 

    He identified a list of other key variables, such as the type of aircraft being used, plus its altitude and speed, as additional points of consideration for MagNav technology. At the same time, he said the importance of these tools is likely to grow as electronic warfare strategies become even more entrenched.

    “We’ve validated that we can do real-time navigation with this technology,” Devine said. “And that’s huge, because the need for it is only going to increase.”

  • SandboxAQ and Acubed advance magnetic navigation 

    SandboxAQ and Acubed advance magnetic navigation 

    As GNSS denial, jamming and spoofing threaten aviation safety, SandboxAQ and Acubed, the Silicon Valley innovation center for Airbus, have released real-world test results from a five-month, nationwide project designed to test the accuracy of AQNav.

    AQNav is an artificial intelligence-driven magnetic navigation (MagNav) system. AQNav uses advanced quantum magnometers to read Earth’s crustal magnetic anomalies, like a geoohysical fingerprint, then employs large quantitative models (LQMs) to filter out electromagnetic interference and precisely determine an aircraft’s position without relying on satellite signals.

    These new results come from a nationwide initiative with Acubed’s Flight Lab to test the navigational accuracy of AQNav. Meeting the aviation industry’s Required Navigation Performance (RNP) standards is necessary for deploying the system on military, commercial and civilian aircraft.

    AQNav’s performance was tested under various opertional scenarios and demonstrated advanced precision, accoding to SandboxAQ. The goal was to determine whether magnetic anomaly-aided navigation could broadly meet navigation requirements for commercial aircraft. AQNav’s capabilities exceeded the accuracy required for en route travel between airports — even on the program’s longest flight.

      Accuracy

      RNP StandardRequired Accuracy (meters)% of Flight Time Met
      RNP 0.355064%
      RNP 11,85295%
      RNP 23,704100%

      To demonstrate how the real-time capable system would operate in real-world conditions, flight data was collected, reprocessed, and streamed in real time to produce statistical insights, offering representative capability data for joint team evaluation. 

      Real-World Impact

      SandboxAQ and Acubed focused on designing tests to mirror authentic, real-world aviation scenarios. For example: 

      • Standard aircraft platform: AQNav was tested using publicly available magnetic maps aboard a standard Beechcraft Baron 58 – rather than a compensated geosurvey platform. This aircraft was modified only to accommodate the additional AQNav instrumentation – no extensive electromagnetic shielding or specialized noise isolation were used. All sensors were positioned inside the aircraft, powered by AQNav’s software to deliver a clean magnetic signal. 
      • Use of a publicly available map. For all flights, AQNav researchers used the publicly available North American Magnetic Anomaly Map (NAMAM), which covers the U.S., Canada, parts of Mexico and surrounding oceanic regions. 
      • Unfiltered flight paths: Flight operations spanned diverse, operationally relevant routes between 200 airports across the entire continental U.S. (Fig. 1), without filtering based on magnetic anomaly strength, magnetic map quality, or favorable geomagnetic gradients. More than 150 hours of flight data was collected.
      • Diverse geophysical environments: Data was collected over a full range of conditions, from magnetically-rich mountains to sparsely featured plains, reflecting real-world geographies where aircraft might operate without GNSS. 
      • True operational noise: Onboard, AQNav successfully filtered out the real-world interference generated by the aircraft, including electromagnetic, vibrational and other airframe-induced noise. 
      Fig. 1: Acubed Flights with AQNav (Credit: AQNav
      Fig. 1: Acubed Flights with AQNav (Credit: AQNav

      Elijha Williams, AQNav’s technical engagement manager, said: “Our campaign was not about demonstrating proof of concept performance under ideal conditions, it was about proving AQNav’s viability under the noisy, messy, and unpredictable environments real pilots face every day.” 

      During test flights exceeding two hours, AQNav outperformed the Inertial Navigation System (INS) without GNSS 100% of the time. During a one-hour flight over the challenging mountainous and forested terrain of California, AQNav achieved its best-observed accuracy of less than 74 meters, or roughly two-thirds the length of an American football field. 

      Precision, Scale and Autonomy for the Future 

      This campaign marks a significant step toward widespread adoption of AQNav in aviation. By consistently maintaining accuracy in an uncontrolled, national testbed, SandboxAQ demonstrated AQNav’s operational robustness under real-world conditions.

      Andrew Sosa Sosanya, a quantum navigation machine learning engineer at SandboxAQ, highlighted the impact of the data collected: “Thanks to Acubed, the U.S. Air Force, and other partners, we’ve accumulated a highly relevant MagNav dataset. This creates a flywheel effect—the more data we gather, the faster we can improve model accuracy across diverse mission profiles.”

      AQNav is also undergoing testing with Boeing, a U.S.-allied air force, and as part of NATO’s 2025 DIANA cohort.

    • NATO selects SandboxAQ for 2025 Defense Innovation Accelerator Program

      NATO selects SandboxAQ for 2025 Defense Innovation Accelerator Program

      NATO has selected SandboxAQ as one of approximately 70 companies to participate in the 2025 Defense Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) cohort. The selection process involved more than 2,600 submissions from 32 NATO countries. DIANA, established by NATO in 2023, aims to address complex societal challenges by bringing together innovative companies developing dual-use technologies for both commercial and defense applications.

      SandboxAQ will join the cohort’s Sensing & Surveillance group, focusing on the development of its AQNav magnetic navigation system. AQNav is designed to provide a secure navigation alternative that does not rely on GNSS, making it resilient against jamming and spoofing. The system utilizes SandboxAQ’s proprietary Large Quantitative Models (LQMs), quantum sensors, and the Earth’s crustal magnetic field to offer an all-weather, day and night, terrain-agnostic navigation solution for military and commercial applications.

      The AQNav system has undergone extensive testing, including more than 200 hours of flight tests with the U.S. Air Force, involving more than 40 sorties across various geographies and aircraft types1. In July 2024, AQNav demonstrated its capability to serve as a primary navigation source and showed potential for scalability across similar aircraft types without individual calibration.

      As part of the DIANA program, SandboxAQ will receive resources, insights and developmental support to advance AQNav’s capabilities. The company will also have opportunities to test the system in specialized environments, leveraging DIANA’s network of experts in technology, commercial development and defense.

    • Launchpad: GNSS antennas and receivers, UAV upgrades, defense solutions and more

      Launchpad: GNSS antennas and receivers, UAV upgrades, defense solutions and more

      A roundup of recent products in the GNSS and inertial positioning industry from the August 2024 issue of GPS World magazine.

      SURVEYING & MAPPING

      Upgraded RTK Rover
      Features MFi certification

      The Reach RX Network real-time kinematics (RTK) rover has been upgraded to include new MFi (Made for iPhone/iPad) certification and is fully compatible with ArcGIS, QGIS and other GIS apps for both iOS and Android. Reach RX can be seamlessly integrated into GIS workflows to help industry professionals and teams collect accurate geodata at scale.

      The Reach RX offers precise positioning while receiving corrections through NTRIP and tracks GPS/QZSS, Galileo, GLONASS and BeiDou. It gets a fix in less than 5 seconds, delivering centimeter-level accuracy even in challenging conditions.

      It can be used for engineering, utility inspection, landscaping and other projects of any scale. According to the company, the rover will soon be compatible with QField, Blue Marble’s Global Mapper, Mergin Maps, Avenza Maps and more.

      The Reach RX weighs 250 grams; is IP68-rated, waterproof and dustproof; and withstands temperatures from -20° C to +65° C.Emlid, emlid.com

      Photogrammetric Software
      Upgraded coordinate system functionalities

      3Dsurvey 3.0 is an all-in-one photogrammetric software solution designed to unify lidar sensors, cameras on UAVs and various ground control points. Users can transition between orthophotos, point clouds and textured meshes.

      Version 3.0 features upgraded coordinate system functionalities to obtain georeferenced spatial data without local transformations.

      It includes improved coordinate system support, which handles transformations requiring special grid files and offers accurate GPS-to-local coordinate conversions. Additionally, the platform can automatically fetch missing geoid models.

      The revamped coordinate system selection process includes presets for users to find the correct system by entering their country name, with the appropriate settings applied automatically. It has PRJ file support to enhance compatibility with various GIS standards. 3Dsurvey, 3dsurvey.si

      RTK Evaluation Kit
      Includes L1+L2 RTK GNSS

      This real-time kinematics (RTK) evaluation kit (EVK) serves as a development platform for fixed or mobile high-precision positioning and navigation needs.

      The RTK EVK comes with a range of options for prototyping, including L1+L2 RTK GNSS, with L-Band correction built-in if needed, running on an agile processor.

      It features custom open-source software pre-loaded with RTK Everywhere firmware. Users can configure the EVK as an RTK base and push corrections to an NTRIP Caster or use corrections delivered through WiFi or Bluetooth.

      The integrated u-blox NEO-D9S offers L-Band reception and access to correction services such as PointPerfect. The u-blox LARA-R6001D provides global cellular connectivity, and Zero-Touch RTK offers users a simple way to receive corrections. Users can register the device and enable PointPerfect — no NTRIP credentials are required. Sparkfun Electronics, sparkfun.com

      GNSS Receiver
      With tilt compensation

      The R980 features communication capabilities to support uninterrupted field operations. It can be used for land surveying, transportation infrastructure, construction, energy, oil and gas, utilities and mining projects.

      The system features Trimble’s ProPoint GNSS positioning engine and inertial measurement unit (IMU)-based tilt compensation, making it suitable for dense urban environments and under tree canopy, removing the need to level the pole when capturing data points.

      It includes a dual-band UHF radio and an integrated worldwide LTE modem for receiving corrections from a local base station or VRS network. It supports the Trimble Internet Base Station Service (IBSS) for streaming RTK corrections using Trimble Access field software and features Trimble IonoGuard technology, which mitigates ionospheric disturbances for RTK GNSS. Trimble Geospatial, geospatial.trimble.com

      Nautical Chart Production
      Generate charts in PDF/TIF from ENC data

      CARIS AutoChart, a nautical chart production solution, is tailored to the needs of nautical chart producers. It can automatically generate charts in PDF/TIF from ENC data. Users can seamlessly import data from ENC files to create comprehensive nautical charts in PDF and/or TIF format. CARIS AutoChart can generate chart templates from existing chart portfolios maintained with CARIS paper chart composer or CARIS HPD paper chart editor.

      The software is designed to accommodate the unique needs of chart production facilities of all sizes. It can be used by hydrographic offices, port or waterways authorities.Teledyne Geospatial, teledyneimaging.com

      Upgraded GIS Platform
      Featuring native database integrations

      Felt 3.0 includes new features and native database integrations to improve the capabilities of geographic information systems (GIS). It provides modern GIS tools for teams to visualize, analyze and present important insights and map data relevant to their operations.

      Operators can directly connect Postgres/PostGIS and Snowflake databases for automated live data updates. The API allows users to create and style elements and listen to map updates via webhooks, while providing a Python SDK for professionals to continue to work in their preferred tools. Felt, felt.com

      UAV

      Gimbaled Camera
      For UAV missions

      The Gimbal 155 is a gimbaled camera designed for the UAV Survey Mission program. The GOS-155 meets UAV requirements for surveillance and rescue missions. Its optimized size, weight and power (SwaP) profile, advanced day and night ISR imaging, and embedded video processor make it ideal for any mid-sized UAV — whether VTOL or winged. With its low weight of 1.8 kg, and 155 mm, UAV platforms can increase endurance without sacrificing optical performance.

      The GOS-155 two-axial gimbal is an EO/IR system, comprising a 30x optical zoom HD (1280 x 720) visible camera paired with a fixed focal length uncooled thermal LWIR (1280 x 1024) camera. This allows users to collect intricate visuals across visible and infrared spectrums.

      It includes embedded video processing with electronic stabilization and object tracking and can be integrated with external GPS/INS with real-time target location at 20 m across multiple environments, and around 5 m using UAVOS’ Ground Control Station software. UAVOS, uavos.com

      Tactical Grade INS
      Tailored to unmanned systems

      The FN 200C combines multiple functions into a single integrated platform. It features a three-in-one strapdown system compromising motion reference unit (MRU), attitude and heading reference system (AHRS) and inertial navigation system (INS) capabilities for precise positioning, velocity and orientation data in both static and dynamic movements.

      It is equipped with fiber optic gyroscopes (FOG) and MEMS accelerometers. The FN 200C’s inertial measurement unit (IMU) offers accurate and reliable navigation data even in challenging conditions. The system supports various correction methods such as SBAS, DGPS, RTK, and PPP for real-time navigation and positioning in a wide range of applications.

      The FN 200C utilizes NovAtel OEM7, u-blox ZED-F9P or Septentrio mosaic-H GNSS receivers to provide precise positioning information across multiple GNSS constellations. With embedded anti-jamming and spoofing features, the FN 200C offers reliable operation in environments where signal interference may be present.

      The FN 200C is ideal for unmanned systems applications, including land-based surveying, aerial mapping, maritime navigation and more, delivering precise and reliable navigation data to meet the most demanding requirements. According to FIBERPRO, the system’s advanced technology, robust design and comprehensive feature set ensure that it will revolutionize navigation and operation in today’s dynamic and challenging environments. FIBERPRO, fiberpro.com

      Upgraded UAV
      With a modifiable flight controller

      The RDSX Pelican extended-range hybrid vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) delivery UAV is now offered with an easily modifiable flight controller, designed for users to more readily integrate customized flight systems and companion software.

      The RDSX Pelican combines the reliability and flight stability of a multirotor craft with the extended range of a fixed-wing airframe. Its customizable payload bay can be factory-integrated with the A2Z Drone Delivery RDS2 commercial delivery winch to support a variety of logistics operations.

      Engineered to operate within the FAA’s 55-pound max takeoff weight for Part 107 compliance, the Pelican is rated to carry payloads up to 5 kg on operations up to 40 km roundtrip. The flexibility of the Pelican’s cargo bay makes it ideal for logistics missions or deployment with payloads customized for aerial mapping, UAV inspection, forestry services, search and rescue operations, water sample collection, offshore deliveries, mining and more.

      With the RDSX Pelican now operating on the Cube flight controller (CUAV X7+), users can integrate their preferred systems — including ground control software, radio beacons and other companion software systems. A2Z Drone Delivery, a2zdronedelivery.com

      GNSS Positioning Modules
      Compatible with UAVs and robotics

      The Linnet ZED-F9P is built around u-blox’s ZED-F9P RTK module. It offers multiband signal reception including GPS L1 and L2 for precise positioning, even in areas with low satellite coverage. In addition to USB-C connectivity, it features UART, SPI and I2C interfaces for easy integration into a variety of UAV and robotics platforms.

      Linnet Mosaic X5 RTK-GNSS module is based on Septentrio’s mosaic-X5 module, with multifrequency signal tracking including GPS L5. The module features an onboard CPU that runs a full internal web-based user interface for configuration and monitoring, as well as integrated NTRIP corrections. Other capabilities include built-in anti-jamming and anti-spoofing protection and a spectrum analyzer. Systork, systork.io

      MOBILE

      “Patch-In-A-Patch” Antenna
      Maintains dual-band L1/L5 performance

      Inception is a new GNSS L1/L5 ultra-low-profile “patch-in-a-patch” antenna. The HP5354.A offers dual-band stacked patch performance in a single 35 mm x 35 mm x 4 mm form factor. This design integrates the second antenna within the first, eliminating the need for stacking parts and reducing the antenna height by 50%.

      The HP5354.A antenna features a passive, dual-feed surface mount design (SMD) to decrease weight and conserve horizontal space. This makes it suitable for GNSS applications requiring high precision and limited space. The antenna improves positioning accuracy from 3 m to 1.5 m while maintaining dual-band L1/L5 performance.

      With a passive peak gain of 2.61 dBi, the HP5354.A can be used for GPS L1/L5, BeiDou B1, Galileo E1, and GLONASS G1 operations. Its dual-feed design maintains circular polarization gain even when the antenna is de-tuned or requires in-situ tuning.

      It is ideal for applications such as asset tracking, smart agriculture, industrial tracking, commercial UAVs and autonomous vehicles. The HP5354.A uses Taoglas’ custom electro-ceramics formula, ensuring high-quality performance and seamless integration into devices requiring high-precision GNSS.

      The Taoglas HC125A hybrid coupler can combine the dual feeds for the L1 patch, offering high RHCP gain and optimal axial ratio for upper constellations including GPS L1, BeiDou B1, Galileo E1 and GLONASS G1. The Taoglas TFM.100B L1/L5 front-end module can be incorporated into the device PCB, aiming to save valuable real estate and up to two years of complex design work, according to the company. Taoglas, taoglas.com

      Waterproof GNSS Antenna
      Built-in LNA

      The external antenna features an adhesive mount and sealed IP67-rated waterproof protection. It is an active GPS/GNSS antenna that includes a built-in low noise amplifier (LNA) for enhanced performance, making it ideal for applications where the receiver is close to the antenna and in environments where signal strength is strong, such as open areas with a clear line of sight.

      This type of antenna can amplify weak signals received from satellites by improving signal quality and reducing noise. It requires an external power source to operate the built-in LNA and is less sensitive to signal loss due to longer cable lengths. It is connected to an SMA connector at the end of a 3 m pigtail. The antennas can be used in navigation, location-based services and fleet management applications. Amphenol RF, amphenolrf.com

      DEFENSE

      AI and Quantum-Powered Navigation System
      When GPS signals are compromised

      AQNav is designed for navigation across air, land and sea when GPS signals are jammed or unavailable.

      AQNav is a geomagnetic navigation system that uses proprietary artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms, powerful quantum sensors and the Earth’s crustal magnetic field. The system seeks to provide an un-jammable, all-weather, terrain-agnostic, real-time navigation solution in situations where GPS signals are unavailable, denied or spoofed.

      The system uses extremely sensitive quantum magnetometers to acquire data from Earth’s crustal magnetic field, which exhibits geographically unique patterns. It uses AI algorithms to compare this data against known magnetic maps, allowing the system to quickly and accurately find its position.

      It is available globally, does not rely on visual ground features or satellite transmissions to function and is not affected by weather conditions. AQNav can be integrated into a wide variety of platforms. Its passive technology emits no electronic signals, which reduces the aircraft’s detectability. SandboxAQ, sandboxaq.com

      PNT Solution
      Operates with or without GNSS signals

      TRNAV is a terrestrial navigation solution designed to operate with or without GNSS signals.

      It establishes a mesh network of ground stations capable of operating independently from GNSS by using precise pre-established locations or connecting to GNSS when available. TRNAV’s synchronized timing system ensures a minimal drift of 10 ns during a week without GNSS.

      The system features a re-synchronization capability that allows the entire network to be updated instantly when just one station reconnects to a GNSS satellite, maintaining high precision across all platforms. Users can integrate mobile stations to enhance network flexibility and range, with the potential to cover distances up to 250 km.

      TRNAV also offers a high-bandwidth communication channel for communication capabilities within the established network. The system employs AES-256 encryption and advanced waveform technologies, including DSSS/FHSS for robust and secure operations in challenging environments. TUALCOM, tualcom.com

      Software-Defined Radio
      Designed for mission-critical systems

      Calamine is a four-channel wide tuning range software-defined radio (SDR) that can be integrated into mission-critical systems for the defense, GNSS, communications and test and measurement markets.

      The SDR offers a tuning range from near DC to 40 GHz with four independent receiver radio chains, each offering 300 MSPS sampling bandwidth. It is tailored to government, defense and intelligence communities and civil users with direct applications for radar systems, signal intelligence, spectrum monitoring and satellite communications systems. Per Vices, pervices.com

      C-UAS Solution
      For electronic warfare

      The Skyjacker is a multi-domain electronic warfare counter unmanned aerial system (C-UAS), suitable against swarms and high-speed threats. It is designed as a response to threats posed by UAVs in the battlespace and at sensitive installations.

      Skyjacker alters the trajectory of a UAS by simulating the GNSS signals that guide it toward its target.

      Skyjacker is particularly well suited to countering saturation attacks, such as swarming UAVs. The system also can defeat isolated drones piloted remotely by an operator and deliver effects at ranges from 1 km to 10 km (6 mi).

      It can be integrated with an array of sensors, such as optronic sights, radars, radiofrequency detectors, lasers, communication jammers and other effectors. Skyjacker can be deployed as a mobile version or interconnected with existing surveillance and fire control systems on land vehicles or naval vessels. Safran Electronics & Defense, safran-group.com

    • US Air Force and SandboxAQ address GPS jamming and spoofing

      US Air Force and SandboxAQ address GPS jamming and spoofing

      Photo: SandboxAQ
      Photo: SandboxAQ

      SandboxAQ has been awarded an SBIR Phase 2B Tactical Funding Increase (TACFI) by the United States Air Force (USAF) to further develop its dual-use AQNav magnetic navigation (MagNav) system. Under the contract, SandboxAQ and its partner AFWERX will explore new configurations of the AQNav technology, including a pod-based attachment, for use on a broader range of aircraft platforms, such as unmanned aerial systems.

      AQNav navigation technology combines proprietary artificial intelligence (AI) Large Quantitative Models (LQMs), powerful quantum sensors and the Earth’s crustal magnetic field, resulting in a solution that operates effectively in all weather conditions, day or night and across any terrain. AQNav technology is completely passive and operates in real-time, offering an unjammable and un-spoofable alternative to traditional navigation methods. This system functions entirely independently of GNSS, offering a secure and dependable navigation option in environments where satellite signals may be compromised or unavailable. This is a key example of applying quantitative AI – AI models trained on quantitative data and not language. SandboxAQ is a leader in Large Quantitative Models (LQMs), in this case to pull the signal from the background magnetic noise for navigation.

      This funding increase extends a prior Direct-to-Phase-II SBIR contract awarded to SandboxAQ in January 2023. To date, SandboxAQ’s AQNav technology has logged more than 200 flight hours and more than 40 sorties across multiple regions on four different aircraft types, ranging in size from single-engine planes to large military transport aircraft. In this process, AQNav was successfully tested in two USAF exercises – Exercise Golden Phoenix and Exercise Mobility Guardian – Air Mobility Command’s largest exercise at the time.

      AQNav uses a powerful quantum magnetometer system to acquire data from Earth’s crustal magnetic field, which exhibits geographically unique patterns – similar to a human fingerprint. AQNav uses proprietary LQMs to compare this data against known magnetic maps, enabling the system to quickly and accurately find its position. Due to the high sensitivity of foundational quantum sensors, AI algorithms are applied to improve the signal-to-noise ratio, removing any mechanical, electrical, or other interference that would impact the system’s ability to acquire its location.

      AQNav is available worldwide and can be used in air, land, and sea applications. The system does not rely on visual ground features or satellite transmissions to function and is not affected by weather conditions. Additionally, AQNav’s passive technology emits no electronic signals, which reduces the aircraft’s detectability. It operates at room temperature, requires no shielding, and has a small form factor that can be integrated into a wide variety of platforms, from multi-engine airliners to unmanned aerial vehicles.

      SandboxAQ is developing AQNav as a dual-use solution to address the need for resilience to GPS vulnerabilities, which extends societally and economically. In addition to the USAF, SandboxAQ is engaged with several aerospace leaders to test and develop AQNav, including other allied governments, Boeing and Acubed — Airbus’s Silicon Valley research and innovation center.