Air Force Demonstrates New Magnetic Navigation System

MagNav prototype uses artificial intelligence and machine learning in C-17 demonstration.

Jonathan Welsh

Friday, June 09, 2023 at 05:04 PM ET

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The Air Force used a C-17A Globemaster III aircraft to test its MagNav prototype. [Courtesy, U.S. Air Force]

Key Takeaways:

The Department of the Air Force-MIT AI Accelerator successfully demonstrated MagNav (magnetic navigation) in real-time flight using a C-17A Globemaster III, marking the first successful demonstration of this technology on a Department of Defense aircraft.
MagNav is designed as a critical backup navigation system to reduce the Air Force's overreliance on GPS, providing an alternative in case of jamming or other disruptions.
The system employs a neural network, trained with machine learning and artificial intelligence, to navigate by tracking the aircraft's position based on a magnetic map while filtering out magnetic noise.

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Air Force officials said the Department of the Air Force-Massachusetts Institute of Technology Artificial Intelligence Accelerator, or AIA, recently performed real-time magnetic navigation in flight using a C-17A Globemaster III aircraft.

The event marked the first successful demonstration of the technology known as MagNav on a Department of Defense aircraft, the Air Force said. The technology is meant as a backup in case GPS navigation is disrupted by jamming or other countermeasures.