US Air Force plane navigates by tiny changes in Earth's magnetic field

A US Air Force jet that can navigate using tiny variations in Earth’s magnetic field will take a test flight next month. The technology could be used on aircraft as an alternative to GPS, which is easier to interfere with than magnetic field sensors.

The USAF’s Position, Navigation and Timing programme is using a combination of sensors in a modular AgilePod, a device that can be easily mounted beneath a plane. In the tests.