SandboxAQ and Northrop Grumman flight-test AQNav quantum navigation on attritable drone. AI and quantum technology enterprise SandboxAQ has completed a successful flight-test campaign of its AQNav magnetic navigation (MagNav) system integrated onto Northrop Grumman's (NYSE: NOC) Lumberjack(R)- a Group 3, one-way-attack attritable Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS). The demonstration marks the first reported operational flight-test of a MagNav payload deployed on an expendable, attritable drone platform, as well as the first reported pairing of magnetic anomaly navigation with visual navigation sensors on a one-way attack system. The flight-test validated SandboxAQ's new hardware-agnostic, software-first AQNav platform architecture. Designed to process raw sensor telemetry using Large Quantitative Models (LQMs) and physics-based geomagnetic anomaly maps, the software filters out electromagnetic interference (EMI) generated by onboard motors and electronics in real time. Deployed directly onto the drone's existing onboard compute infrastructure without requiring specialized external processing units, engineers completed system installation and software integration in under one hour, establishing real-time alternative positioning, navigation, and timing (Alt-PNT) in GPS-denied environments. The initiative builds on SandboxAQ's participation in the Defense Innovation Unit's (DIU) Transition of Quantum Sensing (TQS) program and NATO's DIANA cohort, which evaluate quantum magnetometry and MagNav payloads for unjammable military autonomy. With over 450 flight-test hours accumulated across heavy military transports (C-17 Globemaster III, C-130J Super Hercules) and commercial airframes, the addition of attritable Group 3 UAS platforms expands AQNav's dual-use deployment options toward low-cost, mass-manufacturable defense systems. Review the official press release via PR Newswire here, access its previous coverage of SandboxAQ's DIU Transition of Quantum Sensing Program Selection here, and examine its analysis of AQNav Flight Test Performance with Airbus Acubed here. September 9, 2026

SandboxAQ has successfully completed the world's first reported test of a magnetic navigation system on an attritable platform, Northrop Grumman's Lumberjack drone. The test also marked the first reported instance of pairing magnetic navigation with visual navigation on a one-way attack platform. The company unveiled its hardware-agnostic AQNav software platform, designed for rapid integration across defence systems. Engineers installed the software into existing systems in under an hour, enabling magnetic navigation capabilities without GPS reliance. AQNav provides unjammable, all-weather navigation that operates across various terrains, including open water and GPS-denied environments. The software runs on existing onboard compute infrastructure, reducing the need for additional processing hardware. Since 2023, AQNav has been flight-tested by military and commercial aerospace partners including Airbus and Boeing, and has participated in US Air Force testing aboard C-17 and C-130J transports.

SandboxAQ tests quantum-based navigation technology on Northrop Grumman UAS. Northrop Grumman's Lumberjack(R)// Image Source: SandboxAQ September 9, 2026 BY SandboxAQ SandboxAQ has completed a flight test of its AQNav magnetic navigation technology aboard Northrop Grumman's Lumberjack unmanned aircraft system, the companies said Sept. 9. SandboxAQ said the test was the first reported demonstration of a magnetic navigation, or MagNav, system on an attritable aircraft. The company also described it as the first reported pairing of magnetic navigation and visual navigation on an attritable, one-way-attack platform. The flight test involved integrating SandboxAQ's commercial, dual-use AQNav technology with Northrop Grumman's Lumberjack, a Group 3 unmanned aircraft designed for attritable operations. The companies are developing the capability for environments where GPS signals may be unavailable, disrupted or spoofed. Military forces operating unmanned aircraft increasingly face contested navigation environments in which conventional satellite-based positioning can be unreliable. AQNav uses magnetic-field measurements and physics-based models to determine an aircraft's position without depending on satellite signals or other externally transmitted navigation sources. SandboxAQ says the technology can operate passively in different environments and can complement inertial, visual and satellite-based navigation systems. The company positions AQNav as an alternative positioning, navigation and timing, or Alt-PNT, capability for aircraft operating in GPS-denied conditions. Northrop Grumman program manager Max Schuster said the integration is part of the company's effort to develop resilient navigation capabilities for autonomous and unmanned systems. The Lumberjack was designed and developed in less than 14 months from its first flight, according to Northrop Grumman. The company describes the aircraft as a modular Group 3 UAS intended for attritable missions. SandboxAQ said the flight demonstration also highlighted a new software-focused version of its AQNav platform. Unlike a system requiring dedicated navigation hardware, the software-only architecture is designed to process sensor data using existing onboard computing resources. The software applies physics-based models to sensor information in real time and generates continuous navigation data that can be incorporated into a broader positioning, navigation and timing architecture. SandboxAQ said the system supports open-architecture interfaces and is designed to operate with operationally relevant processing latency. The approach could allow manufacturers to integrate the technology into existing and future platforms without adding dedicated processing hardware. Luca Ferrara, general manager of Navigation at SandboxAQ, said the company offers two deployment options: a full-stack system integrated into a platform's architecture or a software-only implementation designed to run within existing systems. For the Lumberjack test, SandboxAQ said engineers installed the AQNav software into the aircraft's existing systems in less than an hour. The company said AQNav has been demonstrated or designed for use across environments including open water, urban areas, feature-limited terrain and GPS-denied conditions. Its passive operation is intended to make navigation less vulnerable to interference directed at satellite-based or other externally transmitted signals. The companies said the flight test demonstrates the potential for combining magnetic and visual navigation with other onboard navigation sources to improve the resilience of autonomous aircraft. SandboxAQ and Northrop Grumman are continuing work on integrating alternative navigation technologies into unmanned systems as militaries seek greater resilience in contested electromagnetic environments.