Writer

Charlotte Bailey

Quantum computing and sensing company Q-CTRL is looking to be in “every Airbus aircraft” with what it describes as a world-leading alternative navigation solution. Ironstone Opal—its “un-jammable, unspoofable, undetectable quantum navigation system”—is also of particular relevance to defense platforms, with technological readiness levels currently being advanced alongside partner and investor Lockheed Martin.
Q-CTRL’s hardware-agnostic software platform, designed to operate when traditional GPS signals cannot be relied upon, is a form of alternative navigation that chief strategy officer Aravind Ratnam believes is becoming increasingly necessary in today’s geopolitical climate. Q-CTRL says that in 2024, it became the first company “to actually demonstrate fully working magnetic navigation,” with Ironstone Opal now the world’s first airworthiness-qualified quantum-navigation GPS backup system, Ratnam told AIN.
With magnetic navigational systems driven by the mineral deposits in Earth’s crust, Q-CTRL’s approach was to first develop accurate magnetic maps of the planet. These serve as references for the local magnetic field measured by a magnetometer mounted on an aircraft or vehicle. Before Q-CTRL’s proprietary mapping methods, Ratnam described existing magnetic maps as being “at very low resolutions, and not necessarily suited for this application.”
Crucially, this method cannot be jammed or spoofed. For flights over water, Q-CTRL uses gravitational maps, and the company performed a fully operational gravitational demonstration earlier this year. Additionally, Ratnam cited two further key advancements as to the success of Ironstone Opal’s technology: miniaturization and the company’s ability to overcome issues inherent in airframe-mounted systems. Q-CTRL’s AI-driven algorithms are key to overcoming the challenges posed by vibration and electromagnetic emissions. “One of the key advancements we brought to this field is stabilization and miniaturization,” Ratnam said.
Although Ratnam believes the “first natural place to put this was passenger airlines,” which is how Airbus first became an investor and partner, Lockheed Martin is playing a similar role to advance the technology readiness level of defense-specific applications. TRL 7 to 9 will be platform-dependent, with a “large demonstration” planned for the coming months. According to Ratnam, the system—which is almost identical despite differing potential platforms—can be installed in a new test aircraft in a matter of days.
Q-CTRL says it is also “making strides” with various U.S. agencies, such as DARPA, on potential collaborations. With the Iran war having highlighted the potential of comparatively smaller and cheaper drones versus crewed fighters, “the reality is that the effectiveness of the autonomous fleets will not be good unless they can navigate in GPS-denied zones,” Ratnam said. Alongside ongoing technological advancement, Q-CTRL is also looking to optimize engineering requirements for mass manufacturing applications.

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