Insider Brief
- Q-CTRL will showcase its quantum-based navigation system, Ironstone Opal, at the Singapore Airshow as the only dedicated quantum technology company in attendance.
- Ironstone Opal is a GPS-independent positioning system based on quantum magnetometry that has been validated across air, land, and maritime trials.
- The system is designed as a passive, unjammable GPS backup for commercial and defense aviation, with an evaluation kit being previewed at the event.
PRESS RELEASE — Q-CTRL, the global leader in quantum infrastructure software, today announced that it will be the only dedicated quantum technology company to bring quantum navigation solutions to the Singapore Airshow.
Q-CTRL is the first company to successfully bring quantum navigation into the field through its quantum-sensing-based positioning system, Ironstone Opal, which has been validated in air, land, and maritime trials. The technology delivers unjammable, unspoofable, and undetectable positioning in all visibility conditions, with a pathway to support active detection of spoofing attacks. It meets critical aviation performance standards, making it a robust GPS backup in an era of growing threats to airborne navigation.
Defense and aerospace industry leaders at the Singapore Airshow can learn more about Ironstone Opal at the Q-CTRL booth, C-W95. Through software visualizations and hardware samples for both commercial aviation and unmanned platforms, leaders will see Ironstone Opal’s:
Trusted capability: Discover Q-CTRL’s engagements with key defense-sector collaborators and commercial aircraft manufacturers, from the U.S. Department of War to Lockheed Martin.
Demonstrated bounded positioning performance: Ironstone Opal delivers bounded positioning irrespective of flight duration through magnetic map matching technology, powered by quantum sensors.
Cross-platform deployment: See how Ironstone Opal delivers commercial-aviation-grade performance in a compact form factor suitable for integration into class II surveillance UAVs, and is ITAR-free for unrestricted international deployment.
“While there are many proposed alternatives to GPS, each comes with fundamental drawbacks that make them difficult to rely on as a comprehensive backup. Emerging LEO-PNT systems face the same core vulnerabilities as GPS, computer vision systems fail across the two thirds of the Earth covered by water, and even improved inertial systems will always drift over time. Magnetic navigation has established itself as a leading GPS-alternative solution because it is passive, resilient to jamming, and capable of operating over both land and sea. That ubiquitous availability is its defining feature. It works everywhere GPS works, and beyond, while remaining inherently resilient to jamming and spoofing.” — said, Aaron Canciani, Principal Scientist at Q-CTRL.
Platform manufacturers and operators ready to add resilient, unjammable navigation as a complement to existing alt-nav solutions can pursue the Ironstone Opal Evaluation Kit, which will be previewed for the first time at the airshow. It provides a fast, low-risk way for organizations to assess GPS-independent “bounded-positioning” navigation performance using quantum magnetometry. Designed as a standalone system, the Evaluation Kit enables rapid installation and testing without requiring aircraft modification or changes to existing navigation systems.
Q-CTRL’s Ironstone Opal is a proven solution enabling end users to secure critical defense and commercial aircraft and aviation infrastructure. With economic losses from GPS jamming forecasted to be approaching $1B per day in the U.S. alone, Ironstone Opal is the leading solution for aerospace industry leaders requiring a reliable alternative.
Ironstone Opal does not rely on external radio frequency communications and is completely passive in operation, making it appropriate for both commercial aviation and furtive defense missions. The technology serves as an aid to an INS and is validated to improve inertial positioning by over 100x while eliminating drift. Variants are available for both crewed and unmanned platforms.
To learn more about Ironstone Opal or request an evaluation kit for your company during the Singapore Airshow, stop by the Q-CTRL booth, C-W95.
To learn more about quantum navigation and Q-CTRL’s work to overcome GPS denial, please visit the company’s website.
