Lumberjack, a one-way attack drone, has demonstrated new quantum-enabled navigation and aircraft recovery capabilities during a flight test, according to Northrop Grumman.

The test integrated advanced quantum sensing with jam-resistant magnetic navigation, tactical mission systems and aircraft recoverability, the company said.

Northrop Grumman collaborated with SandboxAQ to demonstrate quantum-sensing magnetic navigation on Lumberjack, a Group 3 uncrewed aircraft system (UAS).

The aircraft was equipped with an electronic warfare suite, tactical data links, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) technology, and precision-strike capabilities. 

The addition of quantum-enabled magnetic navigation allows Lumberjack to detect subtle variations in the Earth's magnetic field and use them for navigation when GPS signals are unavailable or unreliable.

During the flight test, the navigation system operated in GPS-denied environments, including over open water, while resisting attempts to disrupt its navigation capability through jamming.

The demonstration also showed that Lumberjack can launch, fly and land multiple times, enabling its use for military training and repeated flight testing. 

“Lumberjack showcases not only ‘best-of-breed’ technology, but also the ability to rapidly integrate and demonstrate new capabilities,” said Max Schuster, program manager for Lumberjack. “Adding quantum sensing to an adaptable autonomous platform like Lumberjack advances mission capability in GPS-denied environments.”

Northrop Grumman said Lumberjack was designed and developed in less than 14 months before its first flight and has since completed a series of successful flights to integrate and test additional capabilities.

The latest flight test incorporated the aircraft, an integrated mission kit, artificial intelligence technology, SandboxAQ's magnetic-navigation technology, and the associated software and hardware solution provided by the cross-industry team.