The US Army could soon navigate without satellites, thanks to magnetic navigation (MagNav) technology funded by the Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU).
MagNav uses magnetometers — highly sensitive instruments that detect subtle variations in Earth’s magnetic field caused by magnetic rocks beneath the surface.
Unlike GPS or China’s Beidou satellite system, the tech is passive, meaning it does not broadcast radio frequency signals that adversaries can detect or jam.
According to DIU, the system could provide “reliable, unjammable guidance,” particularly in remote regions and over open oceans.
While geophysicists have long used magnetic navigation, wider adoption has been limited by the lack of high-precision maps linking Earth’s magnetic field to exact locations.
To address the gap, DIU has launched the GAUSS (Geomagnetic Airborne Unmanned Survey System) project, seeking an advanced aircraft capable of mapping oceanic magnetic fields with extreme precision.
Built to Map the Oceans
The aircraft, which will be unmanned, must support rapid deployment and high-fidelity data collection, while allowing magnetometers to be installed without affecting flight performance.
Scalability is key: the military aims to mass-produce additional units without incurring extra design or development costs.
The drone must also include backup systems, such as a magnetic-aided Global Navigation Satellite System, to keep it on course if GPS fails.
Survey operations should be fast and efficient, enabling coverage of diverse ocean environments and conversion of collected data into actionable navigation tools for the army.
