Breakthroughs in quantum navigation could save global logistics from deliberate tampering, as the Chicago Quantum Exchange (QSE) and its partners make strides in the field, UChicago News reports. QSE — along with partners Boeing and tech players Infleqtion and SandboxAQ — has pursued alternatives to GPS technologies that rely on satellite signals.

REMEMBER- GPS is vulnerable to disruptions: Conventional GPS positioning has fallen prey to deliberate electronic warfare attempts amid geopolitical turmoil. GPS jamming and spoofing — blocking and faking signals to mislead receivers — have become major threats to global logistics. Upward of 1k flights were affected per day in 2024, mainly in the Middle East and Eastern Europe due to geopolitical conflicts. In these cases, planes show false altitude or position, while ships can be sent off course or even run aground.

Promising pilots: Boeing’s experimental test used two systems: AQNav, a magnetic field navigation tool from SandboxAQ, and an inertial navigation system from quantum sensing firm AOSense. Infleqtion completed what it called the world’s first commercial flight trials of quantum navigation systems last year.

SOUND SMART- How does Quantum navigation work? Quantum navigation relies on accurate maps of Earth’s crustal magnetic field, as opposed to maps of terrain. One method — inertial navigation — tracks every change in direction, speed, and distance from a starting point to determine current location. Another method — map matching — tracks elevation patterns taken by a path to confirm a plane’s current position.

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