The Royal Navy and Imperial College London have conducted Arctic trials of quantum inertial navigation technology as part of efforts to reduce reliance on GPS and protect operations from satellite disruption, according to a news update.
The trial, carried out aboard MV Anvil Point, builds on a year of incremental development as the Service tries to shift quantum-enhanced sensors from laboratory prototypes to deployable maritime systems. The technology measures motion using the wave-like behaviour of ultra-cold atoms, allowing a vessel to calculate its position without external signals. It is intended to offer resilience against jamming, spoofing and environmental obstruction that routinely challenges satellite navigation in contested theatres.
Dr Joseph Cotter, who leads development across Imperial’s Departments of Physics and Materials, said the move offshore is intended to expose the system to the realities of naval use. “In the lab our quantum sensors perform extremely well, which is why we’re so excited about their potential for inertial navigation. The Arctic field trial lets us test how these devices perform in unpredictable environments, and helps us work out what we still need to do to make them shock resistant, and able to withstand life at sea.”
The Navy’s Disruptive Capabilities and Technologies Office has been supporting the programme. Commander Matt Steele, SO1 Future Technology at DCTO, said the trial marks an incremental shift toward a deployable standard. “This experiment builds on previous sea trials, using the RoRo fleet and the DCTO’s quantum Navy POD, which has enabled iterative development and performance improvements to the sensor. The DCTO looks forwards to continuing this long-term collaboration with Imperial College London to develop a GNSS-independent INS prototype and demonstrate quantum operational advantage for the Royal Navy.”
The project sits within a wider push to establish assured navigation and timing without space-based signals. The Service has been experimenting across multiple technologies: cold-atom systems from Aquark Technologies on HMS Pursuer, an Optically Pumped Magnetometer from the University of Sussex on a Hydrographic Exploitation Group vessel, and Infleqtion’s optical atomic clock Tiqker on the uncrewed submarine XV Excalibur. Tiqker’s deployment marked the first use of an optical clock at sea on a submerged platform.
Imperial’s Provost and Deputy President, Professor Peter Haynes, described the work as an indicator of strategic direction. “These quantum sensors are an incredible demonstration of physics, engineering, collaboration, and hard work. The field trials showcase how innovations in quantum technology could impact our daily lives. And the team’s work with the Navy and TfL embody the UK Government’s ambitions to become a resilient and secure quantum-enabled economy and society.”