US Hypersonic Jet Uses AI to Navigate Without GPS at Mach 5+
In a major breakthrough for military aviation, Northrop Grumman has successfully tested GPS-independent navigation aboard Stratolaunch’s Talon-A hypersonic test vehicle, signaling a new era for high-speed defense systems. The test flights, conducted in December 2024 and March 2025, demonstrated that the aircraft could accurately navigate at hypersonic speeds—Mach 5 and beyond—without relying on satellite signals.
At the heart of this achievement is Northrop Grumman’s next-generation inertial measurement unit (IMU), which uses advanced sensors and AI-driven algorithms to track the aircraft’s position, orientation, and motion vectors in real time. This eliminates the need for GPS, which can be jammed, degraded, or denied in contested environments.
Jonathan Green, Chief Technology Officer for Emerging Capabilities at Northrop Grumman, told Defense News that the IMU performed nominally and met all test objectives, marking the first reusable hypersonic vehicle missions since the U.S. Air Force’s X-15 program ended in 1968.
Josei Chang, Northrop’s Senior Director for Advanced Technologies, confirmed that the IMU accurately calculated the Talon-A’s trajectory throughout both test flights. This capability ensures resilient navigation even under extreme flight conditions, paving the way for hypersonic systems that can operate autonomously and securely in the most demanding environments.
The Talon-A, operated by Stratolaunch, plays a key role in advancing U.S. hypersonic testing capabilities. As hypersonic vehicles become central to next-generation defense, reliable GPS-free navigation is critical to maintaining strategic superiority in future conflict zones.
Related News: https://airguide.info/?s=Northrop+Grumman, https://airguide.info/?s=hypersonic
Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, NorthropGrumman, Avi Cohen, Defense News