SandboxAQ Tests Magnetic Navigation on Northrop Grumman Lumberjack Drone

SandboxAQ said in a press release that it completed a flight test of its AQNav magnetic navigation system on Northrop Grumman's Lumberjack Group 3 unmanned aircraft system. The companies described it as the first reported magnetic navigation test on an attritable aircraft and the first reported pairing of magnetic and visual navigation on an attritable one way attack platform.

AQNav provides positioning without satellites or external signals, including in areas where GPS is unavailable. Its software processes sensor data using physics based models and can work alongside inertial, visual, and satellite navigation systems.

SandboxAQ installed AQNav on Lumberjack's existing onboard computers in less than an hour. Northrop Grumman served as the mission systems integrator, while ESAero provided the aircraft and systems integration. The release gives no accuracy figures, no number of flights and no programme or customer.