Press release
Leading Authority on Magnetic Navigation and Alternative GPS Technologies Joins Q-CTRL to Support Development of Quantum Navigation Tech
October 22, 2025
GPS-free quantum navigation
Access the world's only quantum-assured navigation system field validated to deliver advantage in real operating environments - air, land, and sea.
TIME Names Q-CTRL's Ironstone Opal One of the Best Inventions of 2025
Quantum-based navigation system ensures planes and ships stay on course during GPS attacks.
Read more
The problem
GPS denial is posing new economic and security risks: are your systems resilient enough?
GPS denial is happening now - explore a real-time map to see how significant the problem has become.
GPS is the gold standard but faces growing limits
GPS is ingrained in our economy and national defense, but is becoming increasingly vulnerable to accidental outages or strategic disruptions.
Widespread disruptions are impacting aviation and transport
GPS denial has become rampant worldwide, disrupting commercial shipping, passenger aviation, and defense operations. Over 1,000 commercial flights per day are subject to GPS denial posing a new safety risk.
Overreliance on GPS threatens autonomy
Conflict zones have illustrated how a reliance on GPS can limit the utility of new autonomous systems. Realizing true autonomy across domains requires new solutions.
Introducing Ironstone Opal
Quantum navigation, anywhere
Ironstone Opal is a compact yet powerful quantum navigation system, suitable for drones, autonomous cars, and commercial airliners. It delivers next-generation quantum-assured navigation, ready for deployment.
Accurate
Functional anywhere, in any conditions
Reliable
Software ruggedized for performance
Resilient
Unjammable, unspoofable
Ubiquitous
Small enough for any platform
SOLUTIONS
Quantum advantage to overcome classical limitations
Ironstone Opal delivers bounded positioning uncertainty to transform commercial and defense operations.
Efficiency
Direct routing through denied environments.
Security
Avoid entering danger areas with resilient positioning.
Safety
Minimizing disruptions to onboard safety systems with unspoofable position data.
How it works
How quantum navigation works
Ironstone Opal leverages cutting-edge quantum sensors enhanced with our unique AI-powered software to see the unseen and position you accurately on a map.
Navigating with Earth’s geophysical signatures
Quantum navigation is built on ultrasensitive and ultrastable quantum sensors that serve as a new set of eyes to see otherwise hidden features of the earth. Ironstone Opal uses these new eyes to compare measured variations in Earth's magnetic and gravitational fields against a map, just as you would navigate on a hiking trip by matching hills and valleys to your map.
This approach to quantum-assured navigation is totally passive, involves no emitted signals, and works in any conditions - day or night.
This approach to quantum-assured navigation is totally passive, involves no emitted signals, and works in any conditions - day or night.
Gain a validated quantum advantage in real fielded environments with the Q-CTRL difference
>100X
Quantum advantage over a strategic-grade classical INS.
<0.03%
Fractional positioning uncertainty after hours of continuous flight.
20X
Enhanced resilience in motion due to proprietary software ruggedization.
For commercial aviation
Reliable navigation for GPS-denied flights
Whether fully integrated into a flight-management system, or accessible via an electronic flight bag, Ironstone Opal gives you the critical redundancy to ensure safe and efficient operations.
70% of pilots rated concern over GPS denial events “very high or extreme”
Ironstone Opal is easy to integrate into your fleet, and even easier to operate
- Deploy easily: Simple installation and strapdown operation. A single 12U rack, <100W of power, and limited IO requirements.
- Integrate seamlessly: Connect to existing avionics systems – no infrastructure changes required.
- Start immediately: No initial tuning flights required for training or calibration.
- Ensure cross-fleet compatibility: One solution is self-calibrating for any aircraft in any configuration.
- Leverage existing workflows: Magnetic map data distributed through Navigation database and electronic flight bag providers.
Electronic Flight Bag notification concept
For defense
Navigate reliably in contested environments
Geophysical map matching is unjammable, unspoofable, and undetectable. Missions previously limited by INS drift or the need for stealth can now be enabled with Ironstone Opal.
Operate securely anywhere, under any conditions, with a quantum advantage.
Deploy a reliable backup on any defense platform
- Tight SWaP for uncrewed aerial vehicles to power autonomy.
- High-performance under dynamic vehicle maneuvers.
- Works out of the box - no calibration or training required to interrupt your mission.
- Tested to mil-spec standards and validated to work under real operating conditions.
Extensively tested in harsh environments so you can rely on Ironstone Opal when it counts
Ironstone Opal outperforms strategic-grade GPS backups under comprehensive testing
Learn more
>100X
Performance improvement compared to high-end conventional GPS alternatives.
World-record quantum advantage achieved in flight and in ground vehicles
Watch video
IRONSTONE OPAL
The world's first quantum-assured navigation system
Frequently asked questions
Does Q-CTRL sell hardware systems?
Q-CTRL produces infrastructure software for quantum computing and full-stack quantum-assured navigation systems including its own quantum sensing hardware. Q-CTRL does not sell sensor components, but the Ironstone Opal quantum-assured navigation system is now available for presale. Contact the Q-CTRL team for further details.
What are the benefits of quantum navigation?
The quantum navigation systems built by Q-CTRL cannot be jammed or spoofed by an adversary. They function in any weather or visibility conditions and are completely passive, ensuring stealthy operations. Overall quantum navigation provides a robust backup when GPS is untrusted or unavailable, and is a complement to other navigation solutions.
How does quantum navigation work?
Q-CTRL builds several complementary technologies based on trapped atoms. These atoms respond to external magnetic and gravitational fields as well as accelerations, and these tiny responses can be measured with laser beams. Because the response comes from the properties of the atoms, the hardware doesn't require any calibration and is very stable over long periods. With those measured signals, a navigation computer can either compare readings to a local map (map matching) or calculate position and velocity from measured accelerations (inertial navigation).
Can I test Q-CTRL technology on my platform?
Q-CTRL is currently engaging select partners for additional field trails and system-integration demonstrations. Please contact the Q-CTRL team for further details.
What validation of quantum technology’s relevance is there for defense applications?
Q-CTRL is the first and only company in the world to deliver field validation of quantum sensing technology for navigation. This includes real field trials on airborne, ground-based, and maritime platforms. Contact the Q-CTRL team for further details.
How is quantum computing relevant to defense?
Q-CTRL has demonstrated that quantum computing can deliver on defense use cases like contested Army logistics, and optimized manufacturing supply chains for defense technology. A wide variety of other applications in materials science, chemistry, and machine learning are being explored and can be enabled by Q-CTRL’s performance management infrastructure software, Fire Opal.
Why do I need quantum sensors?
Quantum sensors operate differently from conventional sensors, making them:
- More reliable
- Less vulnerable to signal jamming
- Less affected by electromagnetic interference
This gives quantum sensors an advantage over current sound and light based sensors, which are increasingly susceptible to interference issues.
How do I integrate these sensors into existing platforms?
Our team has extensive experience incorporating quantum sensors into new and existing platforms. Get in touch to discuss how this capability fits into your development plans.
What are the quantum sensing applications for positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT)?
Quantum sensors are used for precise detection of geophysical and vehicle signals needed to navigate without any connection to GPS. Current and future applications include aerospace, maritime and autonomous vehicles such as uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) and autonomous underwater vehicles. Q-CTRL’s activities incorporate quantum inertial sensing, magnetometry, and gravimetry.
What is quantum sensing?
Quantum sensing leverages quantum mechanics to achieve unprecedented precision and sensitivity in measuring physical quantities like magnetic fields or acceleration. Unlike classical sensing techniques, quantum sensing exploits the unique properties of atoms to provide enhanced performance in a wide variety of sensing applications.