In our Position, Navigation and Timing (PNT) blog series, we’ve explained why reliable PNT is critical, examined some of the limitations of current technologies and looked at the emerging solutions.
It is clear that modern life depends on PNT, however no single technology can provide the resilience users need in every environment.
Satellite signals can be unavailable, disrupted or unreliable. Inertial systems can drift over time. Emerging alternatives, including quantum technologies, could offer solutions but they need to be integrated into practical systems users can trust.
That’s why the future of resilient PNT is not about choosing one system over another, it’s about bringing together different sources of data to create a more reliable, confident and usable picture for the people and systems that depend on it.
Hybrid PNT: turning multiple technologies into trusted navigation
Why one source of PNT is no longer enough
Different PNT technologies have different strengths. GNSS can provide accurate positioning when satellite signals are available, trustworthy and not vulnerable to jamming or spoofing. Inertial navigation systems can continue estimating movement when external signals are limited, but their accuracy can reduce over time.Other technologies, including eLoran and quantum-enabled systems, can add further resilience in specific conditions.
The value comes from combining these sources intelligently to help compensate for one another’s weaknesses and provide a stronger navigation output when conditions become complex or contested.
From separate signals to a single trusted picture
Data fusion is the process that makes this possible. It takes information from different sensors and systems, assesses what each source is saying and combines it into one coherent output.Even if the data is incomplete, inconsistent or affected by the environment, it can help interpret the inputs and still provide a dependable answer, meaning critical decisions can still be made quickly and with confidence.
QinetiQ is applying its expertise in sensing, processing and data fusion to advance PNT technologies. One example is the Quantum Test Harness (QTH), designed to simplify the integration of quantum and conventional PNT systems. The QTH can collect data from multiple technologies, perform data fusion and provide users with a single, coherent output.
With more than 30 years of experience in multi-sensor fusion, QinetiQ continues to develop advanced approaches that combine individual technologies into an integrated capability that can draw on GNSS, inertial navigation and alternative sources. That is the real opportunity of hybrid PNT: not more data, but better confidence which results in something users can trust.
For more information about QinetiQ's work in PNT, visit our sensing and processing pages or contact our team.
16/07/2026
PNT blog series