Quantum technology was deployed on an uncrewed submarine in a milestone trial for the Royal Navy.
Testbed submarine XV Excalibur went to sea with Infleqtion’s quantum optical atomic clock on board – the first time such a device has been operated at sea in an underwater vessel.
The successful trial, which saw the Royal Navy work hand-in-hand with the Submarine Delivery Agency’s Autonomy Unit team, saw Infleqtion’s Tiqker clock demonstrate precision timing onboard the extra-large uncrewed underwater vessel (manufactured by MSubs) which has been undergoing various sea trials.
Unlike other vessels, submarines cannot rely entirely on GPS for navigation and traditional microwave-based clocks provide stability but can drift over time – making them less accurate.
The use of quantum technology in systems like Tiqker add to a submarine’s ability to maintain accurate timing and navigation and reduce the need for external signals. These advantages allow the submarine to stay submerged and covert for longer.
Commodore Marcus Rose, Deputy Director Underwater Battlespace Capability within the Royal Navy’s Develop Directorate, said: “This trial is a significant milestone in the development of Extra Large UUV capabilities in the Royal Navy.
“It demonstrates the ability to rapidly develop and integrate payloads into uncrewed host platforms, which is essential for ensuring the Royal Navy can respond to, and get ahead of, adversary capabilities.”
Commander Matthew Steele, Head of Futures in the Royal Navy’s Disruptive Capabilities and Technologies Office, added: “I am delighted that our long-term collaborator Infleqtion was able to test its quantum atomic clock onboard Excalibur.
“This experiment was a first critical step towards understanding how quantum clocks can be deployed on underwater platforms to enable precision navigation and timing (PNT) in support of prolonged operations.
“The DCTO looks forwards to championing further trials of quantum-based navigation technologies, such as Tiqker, onboard Excalibur as we seek to deliver quantum operational advantage for the Royal Navy.”