diff --git a/ruminations/002-rumination.md b/ruminations/002-rumination.md
index 2a8da62..b47179e 100644
--- a/ruminations/002-rumination.md
+++ b/ruminations/002-rumination.md
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@ $ echo 553036. -124509 | kp "dms:in | geo:out"
 - [`axisswap`](#operator-axisswap): The axis order adaptor
 - [`cart`](#operator-cart): The geographical-to-cartesian converter
 - [`curvature`](#operator-curvature): Radii of curvature
+- [`deflection`](#operator-deflection): Deflection of the vertical
+  coarsely estimated from a geoid model
 - [`deformation`](#operator-deformation): Kinematic datum shift using a
   3D deformation model in ENU-space
 - [`dm`](#operator-dm): DDMM.mmm encoding.
@@ -230,6 +232,36 @@ curvature prime ellps=GRS80
 
 ---
 
+### Operator `deflection`
+
+**Purpose:**
+Datum shift using grid interpolation.
+
+**Description:**
+The `deflection` operator provides a coars estimate of the deflection of the vertical, based on the local gradient in a geoid model.
+
+This is mostly for manual look-ups, so it takes input in degrees and conventional
+nautical latitude-longitude order, and provides output in arcsec in the
+corresponding (ξ, η) order.
+
+Note that this is mostly for order-of-magnitude considerations:
+Typically observations of deflections of the vertical are input
+data for geoid determination, not the other way round, as here.
+
+| Parameter | Description |
+|-----------|-------------|
+| `grids` | Name of the grid files to use. RG supports multiple comma separated grids where the first one to contain the point is the one used. Grids are considered optional if they are prefixed with `@` and hence do block instantiation of the operator if they are unavailable. Additionally, if the `@null` parameter is specified as the last grid, points outside of the grid coverage will be passed through unchanged, rather than being stomped on with the NaN shoes and counted as errors |
+
+The `deflection` operator has built in support for the **Gravsoft** grid format. Support for additional file formats depends on the `Context` in use.
+
+**Example**:
+
+```term
+deflection grids=test.geoid
+```
+
+---
+
 ### Operator `deformation`
 
 **Purpose:**
@@ -564,6 +596,7 @@ Both conventions are common, and trivially converted between as they differ by s
 ```js
 geo:in | cart ellps=intl | helmert translation=-87,-96,-120 | cart inv ellps=GRS80 | geo:out
 ```
+
 Same example, now using the PROJ compatible parameter names:
 
 ```js
diff --git a/src/inner_op/deflection.rs b/src/inner_op/deflection.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2335737
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/inner_op/deflection.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,130 @@
+/// Estimate deflection of the vertical from a geoid model.
+/// Mostly for manual look-ups, so it takes input in degrees and conventional
+/// nautical latitude-longitude order, and provides output in arcsec in the
+/// corresponding (ξ, η) order.
+///
+/// Note that this is mostly for order-of-magnitude considerations:
+/// Typically observations of deflections of the vertical are input
+/// data for geoid determination, not the other way round, as here.
+use crate::authoring::*;
+
+// ----- F O R W A R D --------------------------------------------------------------
+
+fn fwd(op: &Op, _ctx: &dyn Context, operands: &mut dyn CoordinateSet) -> usize {
+    let grids = &op.params.grids;
+    let ellps = op.params.ellps(0);
+
+    let mut successes = 0_usize;
+    let n = operands.len();
+
+    // Nothing to do?
+    if grids.is_empty() {
+        return n;
+    }
+
+    for i in 0..n {
+        let mut coord = operands.get_coord(i);
+        let lat = coord[0].to_radians();
+        let lon = coord[1].to_radians();
+        coord[0] = lon;
+        coord[1] = lat;
+
+        // The latitude step corresponding to a 1 m linear step along the local meridian
+        let lat_dist = ellps.meridian_latitude_to_distance(lat);
+        let dlat = ellps.meridian_distance_to_latitude(lat_dist + 1.0) - lat;
+
+        // The longitude step corresponding to a 1 m linear step along the local parallel
+        let dlon = (lat.cos() * ellps.prime_vertical_radius_of_curvature(lat)).recip();
+
+        let Some(origin) = grids_at(grids, &coord, false) else {
+            operands.set_coord(i, &Coor4D::nan());
+            continue;
+        };
+
+        coord[1] += dlat;
+        let Some(lat_1) = grids_at(grids, &coord, false) else {
+            operands.set_coord(i, &Coor4D::nan());
+            continue;
+        };
+        coord[1] = lat;
+        coord[0] += dlon;
+        let Some(lon_1) = grids_at(grids, &coord, false) else {
+            operands.set_coord(i, &Coor4D::nan());
+            continue;
+        };
+
+        coord[0] = (lat_1[0] - origin[0]).atan2(1.0); // xi
+        coord[1] = (lon_1[0] - origin[0]).atan2(1.0); // eta
+        operands.set_coord(i, &coord.to_arcsec());
+        successes += 1;
+    }
+    successes
+}
+
+// ----- C O N S T R U C T O R ------------------------------------------------------
+
+#[rustfmt::skip]
+pub const GAMUT: [OpParameter; 1] = [
+    OpParameter::Texts { key: "grids", default: None },
+];
+
+pub fn new(parameters: &RawParameters, ctx: &dyn Context) -> Result<Op, Error> {
+    let def = &parameters.definition;
+    let mut params = ParsedParameters::new(parameters, &GAMUT)?;
+
+    for mut grid_name in params.texts("grids")?.clone() {
+        let optional = grid_name.starts_with('@');
+        if optional {
+            grid_name = grid_name.trim_start_matches('@').to_string();
+        }
+
+        if grid_name == "null" {
+            params.boolean.insert("null_grid");
+            break; // ignore any additional grids after a null grid
+        }
+
+        match ctx.get_grid(&grid_name) {
+            Ok(grid) => params.grids.push(grid),
+            Err(e) => {
+                if !optional {
+                    return Err(e);
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    let fwd = InnerOp(fwd);
+    let descriptor = OpDescriptor::new(def, fwd, None);
+    let steps = Vec::new();
+    let id = OpHandle::new();
+
+    Ok(Op {
+        descriptor,
+        params,
+        steps,
+        id,
+    })
+}
+
+// ----- T E S T S ------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+//#[cfg(with_plain)]
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+
+    #[test]
+    fn deflection() -> Result<(), Error> {
+        let mut ctx = Plain::default();
+        let op = ctx.op("deflection grids=test.geoid")?;
+        let cph = Coor4D::raw(55., 12., 0., 0.);
+        let mut data = [cph];
+
+        ctx.apply(op, Fwd, &mut data)?;
+        assert!((data[0][0] - 1.8527755901425906).abs() < 1e-6);
+        assert!((data[0][1] - 0.032238719594433175).abs() < 1e-6);
+        Ok(())
+    }
+}
+
+// See additional tests in src/grid/mod.rs
diff --git a/src/inner_op/mod.rs b/src/inner_op/mod.rs
index 294b01b..6078f81 100644
--- a/src/inner_op/mod.rs
+++ b/src/inner_op/mod.rs
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ mod axisswap;
 mod btmerc;
 mod cart;
 mod curvature;
+mod deflection;
 mod deformation;
 mod geodesic;
 mod gridshift;
@@ -31,7 +32,7 @@ mod units;
 mod webmerc;
 
 #[rustfmt::skip]
-const BUILTIN_OPERATORS: [(&str, OpConstructor); 32] = [
+const BUILTIN_OPERATORS: [(&str, OpConstructor); 33] = [
     ("adapt",        OpConstructor(adapt::new)),
     ("addone",       OpConstructor(addone::new)),
     ("axisswap",     OpConstructor(axisswap::new)),
@@ -39,6 +40,7 @@ const BUILTIN_OPERATORS: [(&str, OpConstructor); 32] = [
     ("butm",         OpConstructor(btmerc::utm)),
     ("cart",         OpConstructor(cart::new)),
     ("curvature",    OpConstructor(curvature::new)),
+    ("deflection",   OpConstructor(deflection::new)),
     ("deformation",  OpConstructor(deformation::new)),
     ("dm",           OpConstructor(iso6709::dm)),
     ("dms",          OpConstructor(iso6709::dms)),