Northrop Grumman and SandboxAQ Demonstrate Quantum Magnetic Navigation on Lumberjack Drone

Northrop Grumman, working with SandboxAQ, has demonstrated quantum sensing magnetic navigation on Lumberjack, its Group 3 uncrewed aircraft system, completing the flight test just one month after setting the objective to fly the capability on the platform. The demonstration showed that Lumberjack's quantum-based navigation can detect minute variations in Earth's magnetic field to guide the aircraft in GPS-denied environments, including over open water, without being susceptible to jamming. The test also confirmed the vehicle can launch, fly, and land multiple times, supporting military training use cases.

Lumberjack carries an electronic warfare suite, tactical data links, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance technology, and precision strike capabilities, with a modular design that allows mission kits from Northrop Grumman and industry partners to be rapidly integrated. The recent test combined the air vehicle, an integrated mission kit, AI technology, SandboxAQ magnetic navigation, and a software-hardware solution developed by the cross-industry group. ESAero Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of AV Inc., provides the Lumberjack air vehicle and its systems integration, while Northrop Grumman serves as mission systems integrator.

Lumberjack was designed and developed in under 14 months from its first flight. Northrop Grumman states it has accumulated more than 500,000 autonomous flight hours across its uncrewed programs, which also include MUX TACAIR and Project Talon. "Adding quantum sensing to an adaptable autonomous platform like Lumberjack advances mission capability in GPS-denied environments," said Max Schuster, Lumberjack program manager at Northrop Grumman. SandboxAQ is a business-to-business company focused on applications at the intersection of artificial intelligence and quantum techniques, with work spanning navigation, life sciences, and financial services.