In late September, a Spanish military aircraft, carrying the nation’s defense minister, encountered a significant challenge—not from an airborne threat, but from radio signals that disrupted its GPS functionality. This incident is part of a broader pattern of GPS interference attributed to a concerted Russian effort since the onset of the Ukraine invasion. While the flight was able to land without incident, such instances underscore the critical vulnerabilities inherent in GPS technology, raising urgent questions about alternative navigation methods that can withstand jamming and spoofing attacks.
In response to these threats, U.S. military contractors are advancing new GPS satellite systems equipped with enhanced signals. Additionally, engineers are exploring supplementary navigation strategies that leverage cellular data and visual inputs. Among the most promising avenues is the development of quantum navigation, which utilizes the unique properties of quantum mechanics to create highly sensitive sensors capable of autonomous navigation without reliance on satellite signals. Research and funding for this technology are rapidly accelerating, with initiatives from the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) paving the way for its integration into military operations.
Traditionally, navigation relies on knowing a starting point and tracking movement through speed and direction—an approach known as inertial navigation. However, this method can accumulate errors over time, particularly in longer journeys. For example, Douglas Paul, the principal investigator at the UK’s Hub for Quantum Enabled Precision Navigation and Timing, notes that conventional inertial navigation systems can drift kilometers off course after prolonged travel. In contrast, quantum navigation seeks to mitigate these inaccuracies by employing quantum-based sensors. Companies like Infleqtion are pioneering this technology, developing quantum gyroscopes and accelerometers that utilize atom interferometry to enhance navigational precision. Their recent experiments have demonstrated the feasibility of continuous navigation through a steady stream of atoms, a significant advancement from earlier pulse-based systems.
Additionally, Infleqtion has introduced an atomic clock named Tiqker, which boasts remarkable accuracy—losing only a second over a million years. Designed to fit standard electronic racks, Tiqker has successfully undergone trials in diverse environments, including military operations on ground vehicles and UAVs. Beyond satellite navigation, these systems can also utilize variations in Earth’s magnetic and gravitational fields to ascertain location, a method being explored by researchers like Allison Kealy at Swinburne University. Her team is developing quantum magnetometers that leverage nitrogen-vacancy diamonds to measure magnetic field strengths with unprecedented precision. While quantum navigation technology is still in the experimental phase, ongoing trials are expected to pave the way for potential commercial applications in the near future.
Source: Quantum navigation could solve the military’s GPS jamming problem via MIT Technology Review