# Air Force Is Looking At Using Magnetic Fields To Navigate Instead Of GPS And **URL:** \ **Category:** Professional Mariner Forum\ **Created:** [June 13, 2020, 12:13pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/air-force-is-looking-at-using-magnetic-fields-to-navigate-instead-of-gps-and/55732 "2020-06-13T12:13:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kennebec\_Captain](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/kennebec_captain/32/13_2.png) [@Kennebec\_Captain](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Kennebec_Captain)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2020, 12:13pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/air-force-is-looking-at-using-magnetic-fields-to-navigate-instead-of-gps-and/55732/1 "2020-06-13T12:13:40Z")
> **[Air Force Is Looking At Using Magnetic Fields To Navigate Instead Of GPS And...](https://www.forbes.com/sites/erictegler/2020/06/12/air-force-gps-magnetic-fields-navigation-f-16/#c785cda6818e)** > > The GPS systems the U.S. military relies on are vulnerable to jamming, spoofing and physical threats. Air Force researchers are working on an intriguing alternative based on maps of the Earth's magnetic field. > One of the first questions Canciani gets asked about MAGNAV is how accurate is it? The reference point is always the three-meter accuracy of GPS. > > “One of the worst things people do when they discuss alternative PNT is to pretend that everything needs GPS accuracy,” he says. > > In ideal conditions (at low altitudes with a fast moving platform) MAGNAV could be accurate to 10 meters. But different conditions and lower quality magnetic maps may mean it’s only good for one-kilometer accuracy. That doesn’t phase Canciani (or likely the Air Force) who points out that there is a “whole slew” of DoD missions that don’t require GPS accuracy, likely a significantly higher percentage than those which do. ---
**Author:** ![Dutchie](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/dutchie/32/170_2.png) [@Dutchie](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Dutchie)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2020, 7:01pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/air-force-is-looking-at-using-magnetic-fields-to-navigate-instead-of-gps-and/55732/2 "2020-06-15T19:01:44Z")
> [@Kennebec\_Captain](#): > > That doesn’t phase Canciani To faze or not to phase, that is the question my dear Watson. The [MAGNAV](https://arc.aiaa.org/doi/abs/10.2514/3.11447) navigation system is intended for low-earth-orbiting spacecrafts and not for earth navigation purposes as I thought at first glance. ---
**Author:** ![Kennebec\_Captain](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/kennebec_captain/32/13_2.png) [@Kennebec\_Captain](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Kennebec_Captain)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2020, 8:06pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/air-force-is-looking-at-using-magnetic-fields-to-navigate-instead-of-gps-and/55732/3 "2020-06-15T20:06:33Z")
> **[Absolute Positioning Using the Earth's Magnetic Anomaly Field](https://www.ion.org/publications/abstract.cfm?articleID=12625)** > > Article Abstract > We present a navigation framework which uses the Earth’s magnetic anomaly field as a navigation signal to aid an inertial navigation system (INS) in an aircraft. The concept is evidently based on this post. > [@If the GPS Fails I'm Riding the Isobars Home](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/if-the-gps-fails-im-riding-the-isobars-home/51962): > > Working the problem the other way. Instead of plotting the position on the wx chart and looking at the weather just do the reverse. Look at the weather and plot your position. Navigate using the wind speed/direction and air pressure. It would be like using knowing your altitude and a topo map to find your way in the woods. You’d need both current weather maps and the forecast. Should be good for 96 hours of navigation. Assuming of course the navigator is the “good seaman” of legend. …