The vulnerability of the satellite navigation system pushes the British Navy to new technologies.
The British Military Technology Agency is working on creating a quantum navigation device - an inertial navigation system that could provide GPS-level location accuracy for naval vessels without using external signals.
Modern transportation relies heavily on GPS for navigation, collision avoidance, and accurate location detection. However, GPS is extremely vulnerable to interference from intruders, and also depends on the performance of the satellite constellation. In the event of a massive solar flare or, even worse, a deliberate attack on satellites, GPS navigation may be disrupted.
Military operators often rely on inertial navigation technologies in addition to GPS, especially for mission-critical tasks. Submarines, aircraft, and cruise missiles use inertial guidance to compensate for known vulnerabilities in GPS systems. However, inertial guidance systems are an advanced form of precision calculation, and they all have some degree of drift: the longer the platform runs without getting a clear fix, the less accurate the calculated location is.
Quantum navigation uses the same principle, but with much greater accuracy. Quantum accelerometers are much more accurate than gyroscopes traditionally used in inertial guidance systems, and if they can be brought to operational readiness, British defense researchers say that one day they can be used for navigation without GPS.
Developed in 2018 by researchers at Imperial College London, the quantum sensor uses a laser to measure the wave properties of ultracold atoms in a chamber. As the ship moves, the camera moves with it, causing the atoms inside to move as well. Laser pulses track the movement of atoms along the frequency shift, allowing you to get an accurate record of the ship's accelerations.
The Imperial College quantum sensor was tested on board the British research vessel XV Patrick Blackett in 2023, and this year passed additional tests on board the British military transport ship Hurst Point. The British Ministry of Defense is looking with enthusiasm at the prospects for finalizing the system in the next round of tests.
"Quantum technologies can solve some of the most pressing defense challenges, improve our operational advantages, and pave the way for new opportunities yet to be realized," said Deputy Director of Technology Chester Butterworth. "We are pushing innovative navigation techniques towards fully sustainable satellite navigation without the use of GPS."
The British Military Technology Agency is working on creating a quantum navigation device - an inertial navigation system that could provide GPS-level location accuracy for naval vessels without using external signals.
Modern transportation relies heavily on GPS for navigation, collision avoidance, and accurate location detection. However, GPS is extremely vulnerable to interference from intruders, and also depends on the performance of the satellite constellation. In the event of a massive solar flare or, even worse, a deliberate attack on satellites, GPS navigation may be disrupted.
Military operators often rely on inertial navigation technologies in addition to GPS, especially for mission-critical tasks. Submarines, aircraft, and cruise missiles use inertial guidance to compensate for known vulnerabilities in GPS systems. However, inertial guidance systems are an advanced form of precision calculation, and they all have some degree of drift: the longer the platform runs without getting a clear fix, the less accurate the calculated location is.
Quantum navigation uses the same principle, but with much greater accuracy. Quantum accelerometers are much more accurate than gyroscopes traditionally used in inertial guidance systems, and if they can be brought to operational readiness, British defense researchers say that one day they can be used for navigation without GPS.
Developed in 2018 by researchers at Imperial College London, the quantum sensor uses a laser to measure the wave properties of ultracold atoms in a chamber. As the ship moves, the camera moves with it, causing the atoms inside to move as well. Laser pulses track the movement of atoms along the frequency shift, allowing you to get an accurate record of the ship's accelerations.
The Imperial College quantum sensor was tested on board the British research vessel XV Patrick Blackett in 2023, and this year passed additional tests on board the British military transport ship Hurst Point. The British Ministry of Defense is looking with enthusiasm at the prospects for finalizing the system in the next round of tests.
"Quantum technologies can solve some of the most pressing defense challenges, improve our operational advantages, and pave the way for new opportunities yet to be realized," said Deputy Director of Technology Chester Butterworth. "We are pushing innovative navigation techniques towards fully sustainable satellite navigation without the use of GPS."
