Q-CTRL, Lockheed to Develop Quantum Navigation for DARPA

Software-ruggedized quantum gravimeter. (Image: Q-CTRL)

DARPA selects Q-CTRL to develop next-gen sensors for advanced defense platforms.

Quantum software company Q-CTRL has been awarded two contracts under DARPA’s Robust Quantum Sensors (RoQS) program. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is an independent research and development agency within the U.S. Department of Defense.

The contracts, valued at $24.4 million, will augment Q-CTRL’s field-validated quantum sensing technologies for demanding real-world use cases in high-performance military vehicles. 

Navigational technology that is resilient to denial, jamming, spoofing and other denials in the environment has become increasingly critical to defense applications, from battlefield operations to intelligence and surveillance. With conflict zones expanding, the risks to crewed and uncrewed defense missions are growing daily. Quantum sensing offers a complementary solution to  GPS that is resilient against external interference while filling coverage gaps.

Quantum sensing offers a complementary solution to  GPS that is resilient against external interference while filling coverage gaps.

Q-CTRL will develop next-generation quantum sensors for navigation based on their success in field trials of airborne, maritime, and ground-based quantum navigation augmented by their proprietary AI-powered software ruggedization. The technology enables sensors to operate reliably on moving defense platforms subject to challenging real-world conditions, without the need for traditional shielding or isolation.

Q-CTRL will be joined by Lockheed Martin as a subcontractor on one aspect of the RoQS program, leveraging its expertise in GPS and quantum technology.

DARPA established RoQS to accelerate the development, testing and validation of quantum sensors for real-world defense applications, which include maintaining stability against environmental interference, mechanical vibrations and heavy g-forces. 

Some sectors and organizations are fast-maturing quantum navigation for use on land, sea, in space, and in the air. The aerospace industry is actively exploring the potential for magnetic navigation technologies, with companies like aircraft manufacturer Airbus pursuing their development. 

Additionally, Q-CTRL’s programs target the complementary missions of geophysical mapping of gravity and magnetic fields, as well as positioning based on matching detected signals to the pre-generated maps. This approach provides huge advantages in navigational missions and delivers new insights into minerals prospecting and underground target detection.

Ironstone Opal, the company’s quantum-assured navigation system, recently outperformed a high-end inertial navigation system (INS) in flight for the first time, achieving up to 111x greater positioning accuracy when GPS was unavailable – a significant step forward for real-world applications of quantum sensing to defense missions. In these tests, the company’s proprietary AI-driven, software-level innovation was the key to the removal of platform interference.

Ironstone Opal’s navigation system was also recently validated in maritime trials on board the Royal Australian Naval vessel, MV Sycamore.

In March, Lockheed Martin and Q-CTRL were awarded a contract by the U.S. Department of Defense’s Innovation Unit to prototype a quantum-enabled inertial navigation system.