The Royal Navy say it has successfully completed trials of advanced cold atom technology aboard HMS Pursuer, exploring new capabilities in navigation and covert monitoring that operate independently of GPS.

The trial, a collaboration between the Royal Navy’s Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO) and UK-based quantum technology firm Aquark Technologies, showcased the potential of miniature cold atom systems for precise positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) in environments where GPS may be unreliable, according to a news update.

Aquark Technologies’ unique laser-cooling method, known as “supemolasses,” was central to the technology trial. Unlike traditional methods, this technique does not require a magnetic field, thus reducing the equipment’s size, weight, and power needs—making it more adaptable for naval use.

Cold atoms, laser-cooled to temperatures close to absolute zero, display controlled quantum properties, enabling them to detect subtle changes in motion, and electric and magnetic fields, making them invaluable for high-precision sensing.

Commander Matthew Steele, who leads future technology development for OCTO, commented in the news update: “Quantum technologies being developed in the UK will offer an alternative PNT capability necessary to operate effectively in GPS-denied or degraded environments. Over the next three years, the Navy seeks to accelerate the development of quantum technologies – such as Aquark’s – to secure a non-GPS-based PNT capability and maintain our global operating advantage.”

The Royal Navys ay that throughout the trials on HMS Pursuer, cold atoms were continuously generated across various ship locations, although magnetic shielding remains a challenge for refinement. These findings will inform the development of Aquark’s prototype atomic clock system, AQlock, aimed to be the UK’s first commercial cold atom clock. Aquark Technologies recently received €5 million in seed funding, led by the NATO Innovation Fund and MBDA, a defence partnership between Airbus, BAE Systems, and Leonardo, to support advancements in quantum technology for defence.

Lieutenant John Hawke, Commanding Officer of HMS Pursuer, stated in the news release: “It was a privilege to conduct these trials with Aquark Technologies. The Royal Navy is at the cutting edge of modern technology, and assisting in developing new products is key to maintaining our operational advantage while also supporting UK industry.”

Andrei Dragomir, Co-Founder and CEO of Aquark Technologies, emphasised the significance of the successful trials: “With this latest trial of our technology at sea, we are continuing to show the real-life applications of our technology. Demonstrating these cold atom systems in real-world environments will drive us towards deployable systems, and we look forward to further refining our technology with our recent investments.”

The Royal Navy’s commitment to pioneering non-GPS PNT solutions represents a significant step forward in maintaining its operational capabilities globally, even under GPS-denied conditions.

George Allison
George has a degree in Cyber Security from Glasgow Caledonian University and has a keen interest in naval and cyber security matters and has appeared on national radio and television to discuss current events. George is on Twitter at @geoallison

28 COMMENTS

      • Does the SM-62 Snark count from the 1950s? “It used a 24-hour stellar-inertial navigation system. This system monitored the relative positions of bright stars by employing a combination of optical and mechanical sensors. It was designed to function both day and night, using a catalogue of over 1,000 stars to accurately determine the missile’s position.”

    • Didn’t stop lots of navy ships hitting rocks mind, then as now super accurate clocks are vital to achieving seriously accurate navigation and geo location.

    • Agreed, back in 1990 I was briefly part of the crew of the navigational training ship and SBS mothership MV Northella. Lord Nelson would have been familiar with much of the instruction given to the junior officers! GPS and Satnav was still in the future for at least most of the RN. After the events of 2 August, the SBS role got top priority with intensive round the clock training exercises, although I left before she deployed to the Gulf.

      • Northella…there’s a blast from the past!
        She used to play in Portland with the submersibles and she was in Gib a few times when we were in.

        A secret SBS mothership painted bright orange…talk about hiding in plain sight!

  1. Hmmm…development of unjammable navigation technology? Wonder which types of naval vessels would benefit the most? Perhaps those which place a premium on stealth? 🤔 Sense an AUKUS Pillar I investment and export opportunity (as well as a smaller SSBN market). 😁👍🇬🇧

    • Quantum sensors, accelerometers and clocks have applications far beyond naval and defence, so plenty of export potential across the quantum strand of pillar 2. There’s an estimated export potential of £4bn per annum for the UK. Though I’d agree they’d be pretty useful for subs, I’m not seeing a large export market there for the smaller, lower-cost technology I believe this will become. Given what’s happening in Ukraine, I’d have guessed QPNT apps might include GPS-independent precision munitions.

  2. Is the comment that these are being used at different parts of a 20m long ship telling us that the position measurements are being tested at the order of metre-length accuracies?

    • Probably just moved the one kit around to try to find a place away from EM emissions and magnetic signatures.
      They might well be getting that ambitious, though I doubt any system would display a measurable creep over the duration of a P2000’s endurance.
      The issue comes when you submerge for months on an SSBN.

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