A Groundbreaking Innovation in Aerospace Navigation

As the aviation sector grapples with the growing threats of GNSS denial, jamming, and spoofing, a game-changing solution is on the horizon. SandboxAQ, in collaboration with Airbus's Acubed, is unveiling exciting advancements in quantum magnetic navigation (MagNav), positioning the industry for a smart automation revolution.

Introducing AQNav: The Future of Aviation Navigation

At the core of this innovation is AQNav, an AI-driven MagNav system that leverages advanced quantum sensors first showcased by SandboxAQ in 2021. This cutting-edge system has already received accolades, including the ACT-IAC 2025 Innovations Champion Award and a spot among TIME’s Best Inventions of 2024. By utilizing sophisticated quantum magnetometers to interpret Earth's magnetic anomalies, AQNav delivers precise aircraft positioning—without the need for satellite signals.

Robust Testing and Real-World Applications

SandboxAQ has spent the last year fine-tuning AQNav alongside Acubed and the U.S. Air Force (USAF). Last summer, AQNav showcased its real-time navigation capabilities during flight tests with the USAF and has recently been inducted into the 2025 NATO DIANA cohort to enhance its capabilities further.

The recent collaboration with Acubed’s Flight Lab has yielded remarkable insights into AQNav's navigational accuracy, a crucial step toward deploying this technology across military, commercial, and civilian aviation.

Unprecedented Accuracy in Flight

AQNav has demonstrated phenomenal capabilities under various operational scenarios, easily meeting and exceeding aviation industry standards for Required Navigation Performance (RNP). In rigorous tests, AQNav achieved remarkable accuracy, including:

- RNP 0.3 (550 meters): 64% accuracy - RNP 1 (1,852 meters): 95% accuracy - RNP 2 (3,704 meters): 100% accuracy

These achievements suggest that magnetic anomaly-aided navigation is a reliable alternative for commercial aircraft.

Realistic Testing Scenarios

The groundbreaking tests conducted by SandboxAQ and Acubed were crafted to mimic authentic flight conditions. A standard Beechcraft Baron 58 was utilized, ensuring minimal modifications were made, thereby reflecting true operational challenges. Data was gathered using a publicly available map, facilitating a realistic overview of AQNav's performance across diverse flight paths between 200 airports in the continental U.S. This rigorous data collection process was imperative in showcasing AQNav’s capabilities amid true operational noise.

A Major Leap Towards GNSS Independence

This recent initiative marks a significant stride toward the widespread integration of AQNav in aviation. By consistently showcasing its accuracy in non-filtered conditions, SandboxAQ has proved the technology's robustness for real-world applications. Andrew Sosa Sosanya, a quantum navigation engineer at SandboxAQ, emphasized the importance of their extensive data collection: "Our collaboration with Acubed and the USAF has cultivated a valuable dataset, enhancing our model's accuracy across various mission profiles."

Beyond exceptional performance metrics, the testing campaign also illustrated AQNav's scalability—crucial for the future of aviation. Leveraging Acubed’s Flight Lab accelerates the pace of technology validation and development, providing insights that could transform the industry.

A Quantum-Powered Future Awaits

With each flight hour logged, SandboxAQ is steering aviation toward a future where GNSS is merely one of several navigation tools, not the sole reliance that can threaten safety. Through collaboration with industry and government partners, the deployment of AI and quantum-powered MagNav systems is becoming a tangible reality—signifying a new era in aviation.