GPS World

Tag: Royal Navy

  • Royal Navy trials quantum navigation systems with University of Sussex

    Royal Navy trials quantum navigation systems with University of Sussex

    The UK Royal Navy‘s Disruptive Capabilities and Technologies Office (DCTO) recently teamed up with scientists from the University of Sussex to test new navigation sensors developed to reduce reliance on GPS navigation.

    The ultra-sensitive quantum sensors measure tiny variations in the Earth’s magnetic field, offering a new way to pinpoint locations when satellite signals are jammed or unavailable.

    “We are excited and pleased to have supported this first sea trial with the University of Sussex and its quantum magnetometer technology,” said Commander Matt Steele, from DCTO. “We are also grateful to our colleagues in the Hydrographic Exploitation Group for providing one of its vessels and crew to provide a test platform.

    “To ensure it can resiliently operate in GNSS-denied and degraded environments, the Royal Navy continues to explore and accelerate the development of alternative means of navigation, such as this magnetic sensor, while positioning itself as a pioneer ‘quantum-enhanced navy’.”

    “GPS or GNSS signals are highly vulnerable to disruption: they can be jammed or spoofed, and they fail entirely underground, underwater, or in heavily obstructed environments,” said Tom Coussens, Research Fellow in Quantum Science and Technology at the University of Sussex. “This vulnerability has serious economic and operational consequences. While alternative systems such as inertial navigation and visual recognition exist, none simultaneously meet all critical requirements: long-term positional accuracy, weather independence, and resistance to jamming.”

    In the trials, a team from the university worked with the Royal Navy’s Hydrographic Exploitation Group who survey waters, recording details of depth, seabed objects and composition. The university used its Optically Pumped Magnetometers in open waters, with the trials taking place from His Majesty’s Naval Base Portsmouth.

    In addition to navigation, they also successfully mapped surrounding magnetic signatures, pointing to new methods for detecting vessels, undersea features, and potential hazards.

  • Aquark, UK Royal Navy trial cold atom-based atomic clock

    Aquark, UK Royal Navy trial cold atom-based atomic clock

    Quantum sensing specialist Aquark Technologies has completed a second trial of its AQlock atomic clock system, facilitated by the Disruptive Capabilities and Technologies Office (DCTO) of the UK Royal Navy. The AQlock functioned continuously aboard HMS Pursuer in the Solent area over three days, what Aquark calls an important milestone for position, navigation and timing (PNT) technology and a step forward in the mission to reduce global reliance on GNSS.

    The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory supported the company’s latest trial, providing time and frequency test and evaluation expertise and equipment. It aims to improve conventional PNT by transferring the stability of atoms that have been cooled to near absolute zero to a conventional oscillator to reduce long-term drift. This makes the technology capable of maintaining high precision for longer, without the usual required correction from GNSS, augmenting existing timing capabilities. 

    The AQlock is an industrially designed and built cold atom-based atomic clock. The technology is underpinned by the supermolasses trap, a unique method of trapping atoms pioneered by Aquark that makes the technology highly robust, portable, and more affordable. The technology is suitable for miniaturization due to its reduced component count and power requirements when compared to alternative methods.

    By demonstrating its ability to continuously operate aboard a Royal Navy vessel in rough offshore conditions, the company is moving closer to its goal to improve conventional PNT and reduce global reliance on GNSS for military operations, infrastructure, telecommunications, finance, transportation and other sectors.

    The AQlock was developed with support from a Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) grant from Innovate UK.

    “Ultimately, it moves us closer to a future where critical technologies can continue to operate seamlessly, even in the absence of GNSS,” said Alexander Jantzen, co-founder and COO of Aquark.

  • Royal Navy demonstrates quantum-sensing technology for alternative PNT

    Royal Navy demonstrates quantum-sensing technology for alternative PNT

    The Royal Navy has successfully tested a new quantum sensing technology designed for underwater detection. Conducted off the coast of Plymouth aboard HMS Magpie, the trials aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of this quantum-sensing system in identifying submerged objects.

    The technology leverages ultra-cold atoms to measure subtle variations in the Earth’s magnetic field, which indicate underwater objects. This method allows for the detection of items that traditional sonar systems might miss, enhancing the precision of underwater surveys.

    During the tests, the system identified various targets, including a concrete block weighing one ton, and demonstrated sensitivity sufficient enough to detect objects as small as a soccer ball.

    This project is part of a broader collaboration involving the Royal Navy, the Defense Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) and industry partners. It reflects ongoing efforts to integrate advanced technologies into naval operations, aligning with the UK’s strategic focus on quantum technologies.

    Future plans include further development and miniaturization of the quantum sensing system to enable its deployment on various naval platforms, such as ships and submarines, as well as autonomous underwater vehicles. The successful trials indicate that this technology could significantly improve the Royal Navy’s capabilities in maritime security and underwater exploration.

  • Raytheon completes JPALS delivery to U.S. Navy

    Raytheon completes JPALS delivery to U.S. Navy

    Image: U.S. Department of Defense / Raytheon Technologies
    Image: U.S. Department of Defense / Raytheon Technologies

    Raytheon Technologies has delivered all 23 contracted Joint Precision Approach and Landing Systems (JPALS) low-rate production units to the U.S. Navy to ship to Japan. Raytheon announced the contract with the Navy back in February to provide JPALS to the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF), which will be deployed on the JMSDF JS Izumo carrier in 2024.

    JPALS is a software-based GPS navigation and precision approach landing system that guides aircraft onto carriers and amphibious assault ships regardless of sea state or weather conditions, bolstering safety and operational capability.

    JPALS is deployed on all U.S. Navy aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships, as well as all F-35 aircraft. In addition, JPALS are deployed on platforms from two countries: the UK Royal Navy’s HMS Queen Elizabeth, and the ITS Cavour, an Italian aircraft carrier, to support their F-35 squadrons.

    Raytheon has also developed an expeditionary variant of JPALS called eJPALS, which is a smaller, portable system that could be packaged in ruggedized cases, mounted on small vehicles, and deployed in austere, remote locations for precision landings. The system could establish up to 50 different landing points within a 20-nautical-mile radius.

  • Royal Navy adopts iXBlue’s inertial technology

    Royal Navy adopts iXBlue’s inertial technology

    The iXBlue's Marins inertial navigation system.
    The iXBlue’s Marins inertial navigation system.

    iXBlue, a navigation and positioning company, is providing 70 Marins M7 to equip 35 Royal Navy major surface ships and submarines as part of the Navigation Compass Programme.

    The decisions to equip both the Queen Elizabeth-Class Aircraft Carriers and the fourth Astute-Class nuclear-power submarine with iXBlue’s Marins inertial navigation system (INS) were the first steps made by the UK Ministry of Defense toward the adoption of iXBlue fiber-optic gyroscope technology.

    The ministry awarded a five-year contract awarded to Lockheed Martin UK, iXBlue’s strategic partner, for iXBlue’s inertial technology.

    The 70 Marins M7 INS will replace the obsolete gyro systems on board the Royal Navy ships which include Type 23 Frigates, Hunt and Sandown Class mine countermeasure vessels and submarines. They will be integrated by Lockheed Martin UK within the compass system installed on board.

    “We conducted a detailed assessment of all available possible partners along with their proposed technologies,” said Robert Kramer, vice president of Lockheed Martin UK – Integrated Systems. “By precisely understanding the Royal Navy expectations and assessing their views on the industry leading suppliers, it clearly appeared that iXBlue’s solutions best fitted the needs in terms of performance, capability and cost.”

    The Marins family of military-grade FOG INS (M3, M5 and M7 models) are the latest additions to iXBlue range of naval products. They offer performances and reliability that meet the requirements of the demanding navies. Marins M7 model offers a drift of less than 1 nautical mile in 72 hours of surface GNSS-denied or submarine-dived navigation.

    “We are very grateful to the Royal Navy for such a decision that demonstrates through a fair and open competition iXBlue’s INS excellence in terms of performance, reliability, lifecycle costs and versatility. This success relies on iXBlue core values: innovation, excellence and a strong commitment to the user,” said Olivier Cervantes, iXBlue vice president for sales and marketing.

    Such a milestone contract opens up bright prospects for iXBlue in the field of military inertial solutions, Cervantes said.