The United Kingdom has completed commercial flight trials of advanced quantum-based navigation systems designed to prevent interference or spoofing by hostile actors, according to a press release.
Infleqtion, a quantum technology company, has been working with aerospace companies BAE Systems and QinetiQ for these trials at the Ministry of Defense Boscombe Down in Wiltshire, with Science Minister Andrew Griffith on board for the final test flight on May 9.
This is the first public test of this technology on an aircraft in flight in the UK and worldwide.
“From passenger flights to shipping, we all rely on navigation systems that are accurate and safe. “The scientific research we support here could well provide the resilience needed to protect our interests.” Griffith said in a press release.
“The fact that this technology has flown into British skies for the first time is further evidence that the UK is one of the world leaders in quantum.”
The project, led by Infleqtion alongside industry and academic partners, received almost £8 million in government funding. This initiative is part of the £2.5 billion National Quantum Strategy and National Quantum Technologies Programme, which aim to establish the UK as a leader in quantum technology.
Two quantum technologies were tested during the experiments: Tiqker’s compact optical atomic clock and a confined quantum system based on ultracold atoms. These were demonstrated on board QinetiQ’s RJ100 Airborne Technology Demonstrator.
This technology is part of a Quantum Inertial Navigation System (Q-INS) that provides GPS-independent accuracy and resilience.
Dr. Timothy Ballance, President of Infleqtion UK, explained: “Our recent experiments represent a significant advance in the development of quantum PNT solutions. The work we have done directly addresses the urgent need to reduce our dependence on satellite navigation systems, which are subject to various risks.”
The development of quantum PNT (positioning, navigation and timing) systems aims to improve navigation accuracy and resilience. Precision clocks such as the Tiqker optical atomic clock and ultracold atoms are crucial components of these systems. These elements are key to building quantum accelerometers and gyroscopes, the core of a Q-INS.
Henry White, Sensing Technology Lead at BAE Systems, said in the press release. “These experiments represent an important advance in the development of quantum technology that could ultimately provide a significant military advantage. Knowing reliably and accurately when and where an asset and sensor system is located leads to additional options for platform design and performance.”
Simon Galt, Managing Director (Air) at QinetiQ, highlighted the successful collaboration. “We are proud to work with BAE Systems and Infleqtion to enable the successful testing of this cutting-edge technology and demonstrate our ability to collaborate quickly and effectively across the defense ecosystem.”
The successful completion of these trials is a key milestone towards Mission 4 of the UK’s National Quantum Strategy, which aims to deploy quantum navigation systems on aircraft by 2030. Roger McKinlay, Challenge Director for Quantum Technologies at Innovate UK, noted:
“These flight tests represent the culmination of two outstanding projects that Infleqtion was able to implement with the necessary vision and leadership skills and an outstanding team of employees.”
These experiments demonstrate the potential for quantum navigation systems to provide next-generation accuracy and resilience, independent of satellite signals.