Jonathan Stock from NASA Ames Intelligent Systems Division demonstrated that Ironstone Opal, the company’s quantum‑assured navigation system, achieved up to 111× greater positioning accuracy than a high‑end inertial navigation system when GPS was unavailable, following field trials aboard the Royal Australian Naval vessel MV Sycamore. The system’s AI-driven software ruggedisation enables operation on moving defence platforms without traditional shielding, a capability that DARPA has recognised by awarding Q-CTRL a $ 38 million (US$24.4 million) contract under its Robust Quantum Sensors programme. The partnership, which also involves Lockheed Martin as a subcontractor, aims to deliver next‑generation quantum sensors for navigation in high‑performance military vehicles. DARPA Awards Q CTRL Quantum Sensors Contract
On 27 August 2025, the U.S. Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency announced that Q‑CTRL, a quantum‑infrastructure software company headquartered in Sydney, Australia, had been awarded two contracts under its Robust Quantum Sensors (RoQS) programme. The combined value of these contracts is A$38 million (US$24.4 million), and the funding will support the development of next-generation quantum navigation sensors tailored for advanced defence platforms, including both crewed and uncrewed vehicles operating in GPS-denied environments.
Michael J Biercuk, CEO and Founder of Q‑CTRL, said: “This award signifies the priority defence agencies are placing on the potential for quantum navigation solutions to deliver national security capabilities that complement GPS.” The RoQS programme was created to accelerate the testing and validation of quantum sensors for real-world defence applications, ensuring sensor stability against environmental interference, mechanical vibrations, and heavy G-forces.
Q CTRL Develops AI‑Ruggedised Quantum Navigation for Military Vehicles
Building on extensive field trials of airborne, maritime, and ground-based quantum navigation, Q-CTRL is augmenting its hardware with proprietary AI-powered software ruggedisation. The sensors are engineered to operate reliably on moving platforms exposed to mechanical vibrations, heavy g‑forces and environmental interference, without the need for conventional shielding or isolation. Machine-learning algorithms continuously optimise pulse sequences, mitigating platform-induced noise and preserving the coherence times essential for high-precision navigation.
Q‑CTRL’s flagship quantum‑assured navigation system, Ironstone Opal, has already demonstrated a 111‑fold increase in positioning accuracy over a high‑end inertial navigation system when GPS was unavailable, as reported by Jonathan Stock, Chief Scientist for Innovation at NASA Ames Intelligent Systems Division. Flight tests highlighted the system’s ability to maintain precision under the mechanical vibrations and g‑forces typical of combat platforms. Ironstone Opal’s advantage stems from its proprietary AI‑powered software ruggedisation, which eliminates the need for traditional shielding or isolation.
Field trials of Ironstone Opal spanned airborne, maritime and ground‑based platforms, with maritime validation aboard the Royal Australian Navy vessel MV Sycamore. The system was selected by the U.S. Department of Defence’s Innovation Unit in March 2025 to prototype a quantum‑enabled inertial navigation system. The development effort is headquartered in Q‑CTRL’s international offices in Sydney, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Berlin, and Oxford, with the Australian site serving as the primary hub for the field trial program.
Lockheed Martin Subcontracts GPS Expertise to Support Quantum Sensor Development
Lockheed Martin will act as a subcontractor on one aspect of the RoQS contracts, bringing its expertise in GPS and quantum technology to the partnership. In March 2025, Lockheed Martin and Q-CTRL secured a contract from the U.S. Defence Innovation Unit to prototype a quantum-enabled inertial navigation system. The partnership focuses on integrating Q‑CTRL’s quantum navigation sensors with existing inertial systems to deliver seamless navigation in GPS‑denied theatres for both crewed and uncrewed vehicles.
Lockheed Martin’s contribution includes providing GPS expertise and ensuring the integration of the quantum sensors with the inertial navigation systems already in use by defence forces. This collaboration is expected to fill coverage gaps and enhance resilience against jamming, spoofing and denial, thereby reinforcing the complementary role of quantum navigation to conventional GPS.
The RoQS programme’s objectives extend beyond sensor development to ensure resilience against environmental interference, mechanical vibrations and heavy g‑forces. By leveraging AI‑driven ruggedisation, the technology positions itself as a complementary solution to GPS, capable of filling coverage gaps and resisting jamming, spoofing and denial in battlefield environments.
The dual‑purpose nature of Ironstone Opal, which maps gravity and magnetic fields while providing precise localisation, has attracted interest from federal agencies such as NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Jonathan Stock noted the system’s 111‑fold accuracy advantage and its ability to operate without traditional shielding or isolation. These capabilities suggest a new class of tools that can support mineral prospecting, subsurface imaging and geophysical surveys, extending the utility of quantum navigation beyond defence into civilian applications.
Original Press Release
Source: Q‑CTRL
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