Northrop’s kamikaze drone gets jam-proof navigation

Northrop Grumman and SandboxAQ flew the Lumberjack loitering weapon with AQNav, a GPS-independent quantum magnetic navigation system, at Fort Hunter Liggett. Integrated in about one month, AQNav uses magnetic-field measurements and artificial intelligence to navigate without satellite signals; the reusable Group 3 aircraft completed multiple launches, flights, and landings. SandboxAQ says the technology has accumulated more than 450 flight hours on four aircraft, including Air Force platforms. Northrop describes Lumberjack as carrying a roughly 250-pound payload over several hundred miles or loitering for about two hours, with an estimated mission cost of $75,000–$100,000, but no customer has been disclosed.