Key Takeaways

  • The Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit is launching a program to mature magnetic navigation (magnav) systems.
  • Magnav systems use instruments called magnetometers that detect changes in the Earth’s terrestrial magnetic field.
  • The program aims to demonstrate ‘mature technology’ for magnetic mapping that can enable magnav across ’trans-oceanic distances’.
Defense Innovation Unit Pentagon

Strategic Implications

This initiative may indicate the Pentagon’s growing interest in alternative navigation systems, particularly those that are less vulnerable to jamming. The development of magnav tech could provide a more resilient and reliable means of navigation for military operations, especially over oceans. However, the program’s focus on reducing costs and increasing accuracy suggests that it may also be driven by practical considerations, such as the need for more affordable and efficient systems.