Quantum sensing for magnetic-aided navigation in GPS-denied environments

Military and civilian operations worldwide heavily rely on accurate position estimation provided by global navigation satellite systems (GNSS). However, in recent years, it has become apparent that GNSS is vulnerable to jamming and spoofing, necessitating the development of alternative solutions. Novel quantum-sensing technology offers promising alternatives, notably the Magnetic Aided Inertial Navigation System (MAINS). MAINS employs a combination of scalar (e.g. optically pumped magnetometers, or OPMs) and vector magnetometers (e.g. fluxgate sensors) to measure the ambient magnetic field. By correlating these measurements with a pre-established map of magnetic values in the region of navigation, the system can correct the accumulated errors of the inertial navigation system. In Spring 2024 a shared trial was organized by the NATO Centre for Maritime Research and Experimentation (CMRE), the University of Pisa and the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) in La Spezia, Italy. In this presentation, we will demonstrate the performance of MAINS using the magnetic data acquired in this trial.