SandboxAQ Completes Successful Flight Test of AQNav's Quantum Navigation Technology on Northrop Grumman's Lumberjack® Attritable Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS)

SandboxAQ’s AQNav MagNav software was rapidly integrated and flight-tested on Northrop Grumman’s Lumberjack UAS to provide GPS-independent navigation.

Rhea-AI Summary

SandboxAQ and Northrop Grumman (NOC) completed what is described as the world's first reported test of a magnetic navigation (MagNav) system, SandboxAQ's AQNav, on an attritable platform, Northrop Grumman's Lumberjack Group 3 unmanned aircraft system.

The flight also marked the first reported pairing of a MagNav system with a visual navigation system on an attritable, one-way attack platform. AQNav delivered passive, GPS-independent positioning and can operate as a standalone or complementary navigation capability in GPS-denied or spoofed environments. The hardware-agnostic, software-first platform is designed for rapid integration on existing onboard computing, with engineers reporting installation on Lumberjack in less than an hour.

News Explained

AQNav’s broader operational validation remains unresolved despite the completed flight test; deployment can use existing onboard computing or a full-stack build.

SandboxAQ says it completed the AQNav flight test on Northrop Grumman’s Lumberjack UAS, adding two deployment paths: a full-stack system built into a platform or software-only installation on existing onboard computing.

The release calls the capability operationally validated, but says performance under the Defense Innovation Unit’s Transition of Quantum Sensing program is still being evaluated; the disclosed milestone is therefore flight-test completion, not completion of that broader evaluation.

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SandboxAQ unveils hardware-agnostic AQNav software platform for rapid integration across defense systems

PALO ALTO, Calif., Sept. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- SandboxAQ announced it has successfully completed the world's first reported test of a magnetic navigation (MagNav) system on an attritable platform – Northrop Grumman's Lumberjack^®, a Group 3 UAS attritable drone. It was also the world's first reported instance of a MagNav system being paired with a visual navigation system on an attritable, one-way attack platform. SandboxAQ has collaborated with Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC) to integrate and test its commercial, dual-use, AQNav MagNav technology on this unmanned aircraft system.

Conflicts in Ukraine and the Persian Gulf States prove small, expendable drones are now regularly operating in GPS-denied and spoofed environments. UAVs are a tool of war in these conflicts and militaries around the world are ramping up their stockpiles of drones. Northrop Grumman's Lumberjack, a one-way-attack drone, was designed and developed in under 14 months of its first flight. The versatility and modularity of this technology highlights Northrop Grumman's multi-use, loitering munition capabilities.

"Today's platforms need navigation systems they can trust as they operate in increasingly complex and contested environments. In collaboration with SandboxAQ, Northrop Grumman is aggressively enhancing our ecosystem of autonomous and unmanned systems with resilient and flight-hardened alternative navigation systems," said Max Schuster, program manager, Lumberjack, Northrop Grumman. "Pairing AQNav with Northrop Grumman's experience in unmanned aircraft and open mission systems will ensure our joint forces have an operationally validated navigation capability in even the most contested domains."

"AQNav's ability to provide unjammable navigation and positioning without GPS complements Northrop Grumman's efforts to fulfill the operational and mission-specific requirements for autonomous aircraft and shape the future of next generation unmanned platforms," said Luca Ferrara, General Manager of Navigation at SandboxAQ. "Leveraging our proven MagNav technologies and drone platform expertise, the flight test with Northrop Grumman further demonstrates the ease by which our AQNav software can be integrated into unmanned systems at the speed and scale required by leading defense organizations."

AQNav enables continuous positioning without reliance on satellite or other externally transmitted signals. Its passive, all-weather, and terrain-agnostic navigation can serve as a standalone capability or complement inertial, visual, and satellite navigation systems, advancing the future of alternative positioning, navigation and timing (Alt-PNT). In addition, AQNav's proven ability to operate over open water, feature-limited terrain, urban landscapes, and GPS-denied environments makes aircraft platforms more resilient and mission-capable.

AQNav's Software Expands Accessibility Across Platforms
Our AQNav software platform, demonstrated during the recent flight, extends the company's proven MagNav capabilities into a software-first architecture designed for rapid integration with current and future defense systems. This novel, hardware-agnostic offering processes sensor data in real-time, applies physics-based models to determine positioning and provides continuous navigation that can be easily incorporated into a broader PNT architecture.

The software is designed to run on existing onboard compute infrastructure with operationally relevant latency, reducing the need for additional processing hardware. It supports open architecture interfaces that simplify integration across platforms.

"AQNav now offers OEMs two distinct paths for deployment – a full-stack, performance-optimized solution that's built natively into your platform architecture, or a software-only solution developed specifically to deploy within existing architecture," said Ferrara. "With Northrop Grumman's Lumberjack, our engineers were able to install AQNav software into existing systems in less than an hour, giving the attritable platform MagNav capabilities for enhanced mission performance."

Proven Performance Across Defense and Commercial Applications
Since 2023, AQNav has been flight-tested by military, government, and commercial aerospace partners including Airbus and Boeing. SandboxAQ has worked closely with the United States Air Force to flight-test AQNav for more than three years, including testing aboard C-17 Globemaster III and C-130J Super Hercules transports and participating in three large-scale military exercises. AQNav was also selected to participate in the 2025 NATO DIANA cohort.

AQNav currently participates in the Defense Innovation Unit's (DIU) Transition of Quantum Sensing program (TQS), which tests MagNav technologies for military autonomous systems. Under that program, SandboxAQ integrated its AQNav software on a Group 3 unmanned aircraft platform and is evaluating its performance against defense-relevant use cases. The work with Northrop Grumman builds on those integration patterns and advances a shared objective of delivering scalable, resilient navigation for unmanned operations in GPS-contested environments.

About Lumberjack^®
Northrop Grumman is the mission systems integrator, munitions and systems provider of many of the technologies that enable the aircraft to sense, detect and deter threats in the battlespace. ESAero Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of AV Inc., provides the Lumberjack air vehicle and its systems integration.

About Northrop Grumman
Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC) is a leading global aerospace and defense technology company. Our pioneering solutions equip our customers with the capabilities they need to connect and protect the world, and push the boundaries of human exploration across the universe. Driven by a shared purpose to solve our customers' toughest problems, our employees define possible every day.

About SandboxAQ
SandboxAQ is a B2B company delivering solutions at the intersection of AI and quantum techniques. The company's Large Quantitative Models (LQMs) deliver critical advances in life sciences, financial services, navigation, and other sectors. SandboxAQ is an independent, growth-backed company funded by leading investors and strategic partners including funds and accounts advised by T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc., Google, Alger, IQT, US Innovative Technology Fund, S32, Paladin Capital, BNP Paribas, Eric Schmidt, Breyer Capital, Ray Dalio, Marc Benioff, Thomas Tull, and others. For more information, visit www.sandboxaq.com.

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SOURCE SandboxAQ

FAQ

What is AQNav and how does it support navigation without GPS?

AQNav is a magnetic navigation (MagNav) software platform that processes sensor data in real time and applies physics-based models to determine positioning. It enables continuous navigation without relying on satellite or other externally transmitted signals, and can serve as a standalone system or complement inertial, visual, and satellite navigation as part of an alternative positioning, navigation and timing (Alt-PNT) architecture.

On what kinds of platforms and in which environments has AQNav been tested so far?

AQNav has been flight-tested by military, government, and commercial aerospace partners, including Airbus and Boeing, and with the United States Air Force on C-17 Globemaster III and C-130J Super Hercules aircraft. It has participated in three large-scale military exercises and has been evaluated on a Group 3 unmanned aircraft platform under the Defense Innovation Unit’s Transition of Quantum Sensing program. The company reports that AQNav operates over open water, feature-limited terrain, urban landscapes, and GPS-denied environments.

What deployment options does AQNav offer for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs)?

The company describes two deployment paths for AQNav: a full-stack, performance-optimized solution built natively into a platform’s architecture, and a software-only solution that runs within existing onboard compute infrastructure. The software supports open architecture interfaces to simplify integration across different defense systems and is designed to run with operationally relevant latency without requiring additional processing hardware.

What was demonstrated specifically on Northrop Grumman’s Lumberjack UAS?

On the Lumberjack Group 3 unmanned aircraft system, SandboxAQ integrated its AQNav software into existing systems, with engineers reporting that installation required less than an hour. The test demonstrated MagNav capabilities paired with a visual navigation system on an attritable, one-way attack platform, aiming to provide resilient, GPS-independent navigation in contested environments.

How is AQNav involved with NATO and the Defense Innovation Unit?

AQNav was selected to participate in the 2025 NATO DIANA cohort. It also participates in the Defense Innovation Unit’s Transition of Quantum Sensing (TQS) program, which evaluates MagNav technologies for military autonomous systems. Under TQS, SandboxAQ integrated AQNav on a Group 3 unmanned aircraft platform and is evaluating performance against defense-relevant use cases.