NEW YORK, Sept. 24, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FN Media News Commentary - The days of simply assuming GPS will always be available are changing fast. On a modern battlefield, GPS signals can be jammed, spoofed or knocked out, leaving military aircraft, drones, ships, missiles and autonomous vehicles with a serious navigation problem. That is where quantum navigation becomes especially interesting. Quantum-based sensors can measure movement and position with extremely high precision without depending entirely on satellite signals, potentially allowing military platforms to keep operating when conventional GPS-based navigation cannot be trusted. The market opportunity is growing alongside that need. Fortune Business Insights estimates the global quantum navigation systems market could increase from about $1.3 billion in 2026 to $7.4 billion by 2034, representing a projected 24.27% annual growth rate. Leading Tech Companies on the move today include: ZenaTech, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZENA), IonQ (NYSE: IONQ), Quantum Computing Inc. (NASDAQ: QUBT), Rigetti Computing, Inc. (NASDAQ: RGTI), Red Cat Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: RCAT).
For investors watching the convergence of quantum technology, defense autonomy and electronic warfare, GPS-denied navigation represents a potentially significant next-generation technology market. Grand View Research estimates the quantum navigation market at $1.64 billion in 2026, with a projection of approximately $8.0 billion by 2033, while the broader inertial navigation systems market is projected to reach $11.92 billion by 2030, up from $9.42 billion in 2026. The strategic value is straightforward: as military forces deploy more autonomous platforms and operate in environments where traditional navigation signals cannot be trusted, demand for GPS-independent, highly resilient positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) technology could accelerate across multiple defense platforms. Quantum navigation is therefore emerging as more than a scientific breakthrough—it is becoming part of the broader race to build autonomous military systems that can continue operating when conventional navigation infrastructure is under attack.
Key revenue-growth drivers:
- $7.4B quantum navigation opportunity: Forecast to expand from approximately $1.30B in 2026 to $7.40B by 2034.
- GPS-denied operations: Quantum navigation is being developed specifically for environments affected by jamming, spoofing or loss of GNSS signals.
- Defense & autonomy convergence: Aircraft, missiles, ships, submarines, UAVs and autonomous ground systems increasingly require resilient PNT.
- Broader $11.92B navigation market: Global inertial navigation systems are projected to reach $11.92B by 2030.
- High-value strategic technology: Quantum sensing could become a critical component of next-generation electronic-warfare-resistant navigation architectures.
ZenaTech (NASDAQ:ZENA) ZenaDrone Advances Defense-Focused Quantum Navigation System for GPS-Denied Operations to Drone Testing Phase -- ZenaTech, Inc. ($ZENA) (FSE: 49Q) (BMV: ZENA) ("ZenaTech"), a technology solution provider specializing in AI (Artificial Intelligence) drone, Drone as a Service (DaaS), enterprise SaaS, and Quantum Computing solutions, announces that its drone subsidiary ZenaDrone has advanced its defense-focused quantum navigation system, which is designed to enable secure drone operations in GPS-denied and satellite-compromised environments, to the testing phase. Testing is now underway at ZenaDrone’s manufacturing and testing facilities in Sharjah, UAE, where the company’s engineering team is working to validate the system's navigation accuracy and reliability under real-world flight conditions. Initial testing is beginning with the IQ Nano indoor drone platform in non-GPS environments, with the team preparing to move to field testing on the ZenaDrone 1000, the company’s AI multifunction heavy-lift cargo defense drone, as well as its other drone platforms.
“Operating reliably when GPS and satellite navigation are degraded, denied, or spoofed is a mission-critical requirement for modern defense operations,” said Shaun Passley, Ph.D., ZenaTech CEO. “As the ZenaDrone 1000 is fielded in defense applications, redundant, multi-layered navigation will be essential. Operators need confidence that a platform can maintain position, navigation, and timing (PNT), even if one system is jammed, spoofed, or otherwise fails in a contested environment. Advancing our quantum navigation system into testing is a key milestone toward delivering that redundancy and mission assurance to future defense customers.”
Quantum navigation systems represent a next-generation class of self-contained, ultra-precise motion-sensing technology that allows drones and other platforms to maintain accurate navigation without relying on GPS, instead using principles derived from quantum physics. As modern defense missions increasingly operate in contested electromagnetic environments where adversaries may jam or spoof satellite signals, these systems combine quantum inertial sensing with AI-based path correction to deliver continuous, high-precision positioning over long mission durations, independent of external signals. Beyond defense, the technology also holds promise for commercial drone operators working in GPS-challenged settings, including dense urban corridors, indoor warehouses, underground facilities, and extended BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line-of-Sight) missions.
Having advanced beyond the initial research and development stage, ZenaDrone’s engineering team is now in the testing and validation phase of the program, with cross-functional teams collaborating on drone integration ahead of broader field trials. Once validated, the quantum navigation system is expected to be incorporated across selected ZenaDrone defense and commercial drone platforms, extending capabilities in areas such as surveillance, critical infrastructure inspection, and defense missions.
Built as an advanced, AI-enabled VTOL heavy-lift platform for defense use, the ZenaDrone 1000 delivers ISR capabilities such as real-time surveillance, tactical reconnaissance, and secure data collection, in addition to cargo transport and mission-critical payload delivery. Its modular architecture enables rapid reconfiguration for a range of mission types in high-risk operating environments, from infrastructure monitoring to operational logistics support. Continued… Read this full release and additional news for ZENA by visiting: https://www.zenatech.com/newsroom/
In other recent tech companies’ developments of interest:
IonQ (NYSE: IONQ) announced that it will be the first on-premise quantum computing deployment at the NVIDIA Accelerated Quantum Research Center (NVAQC). The NVAQC is designed to address the fundamental challenges of scaling quantum processors into a new class of accelerated quantum supercomputers. Connecting IonQ’s full-stack quantum systems directly with NVIDIA AI infrastructure will help drive the new breakthroughs needed to turn qubits into useful, large-scale quantum supercomputers capable of solving the world's hardest problems.
As part of the partnership, an IonQ Superion 256 system will be installed at the NVAQC and directly linked with an NVIDIA GB200 NVL72 system via NVIDIA NVQLink, with workloads orchestrated by the open NVIDIA CUDA-Q platform. The joint research program will focus on hybrid software development and large-scale system prototyping, generating open results and a guide for future AI use cases and quantum-GPU co-design.
Quantum Computing Inc. (Nasdaq: QUBT), a vertically integrated quantum company pioneering photonics and semiconductor manufacturing, recently announced it has signed a three-year Framework Agreement with Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar (HBKU) to collaborate in quantum computing, quantum sensing, and quantum communications.
The partnership in a specific focus area for HBKU establishes a foundation for joint academic research, executive education programs, industry-focused projects, applications development, and co-marketing initiatives to accelerate the adoption of quantum technologies across Qatar and beyond. Moreover, QCi and HBKU will work together to develop practical quantum solutions that address real-world challenges while building the next generation of quantum talent and leadership.
Rigetti Computing, Inc. (Nasdaq: RGTI), a pioneer in full-stack quantum-classical computing, recently announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Rigetti & Co, LLC, has signed a definitive agreement with the U.S. Department of Commerce (the “Department”) for an award of $100 million in funding to accelerate superconducting quantum computing R&D.
The funding is allocated under the CHIPS Research and Development Office Broad Agency Announcement pursuant to the CHIPS Act.
Under this definitive agreement, Rigetti will pursue three R&D projects that aim to address major technical bottlenecks in scaling superconducting quantum computing and will accelerate the Company’s roadmap towards utility-scale quantum computing.
Red Cat Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: RCAT), a U.S.-based provider of advanced all-domain drone and robotic solutions for defense and national security, and Havoc, a leader in all-domain collaborative autonomy, announced a partnership recently, formalized through Red Cat’s maritime division, Blue Ops.
Under the partnership, Blue Ops and Havoc plan to integrate Havoc’s collaborative autonomy software and command-and-control capabilities across multiple Blue Ops uncrewed surface vessels, including the Variant 7 and additional platforms as they are introduced. The integration is intended to enable coordinated multi-vessel operations and expand the range of autonomous functions available to U.S. and allied defense customers.
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