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02 Jan 25. Top secret lab develops atomic clock using quantum technology.
A revolutionary UK-built atomic clock will make military operations more secure through experimental quantum technology.
Military personnel will use groundbreaking quantum technology to conduct more secure and precise operations, thanks to a new high-tech atomic clock.
Developed at the top-secret Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, (Dstl) the quantum clock will be a leap forward in improving intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance by decreasing the reliance on GPS technology, which can be disrupted and blocked by adversaries.
The clock’s precision is so refined that it will lose less than one second over bns of years, allowing scientists to measure time at an unprecedented scale. It is the first device of its kind to be built in the UK and will be deployable on military operations in the next five years.
The applications of quantum clocks extend beyond precision timekeeping. Further improvement to GPS accuracy could transform global navigation systems, aiding in everything from satellite communication to aircraft navigation.
The development of this cutting-edge technology supports key components of the UK Government’s Plan for Change, safeguarding national security while supporting skilled, productive jobs which foster economic growth.
In addition, further research will see the technology decrease in size to allow mass manufacturing and miniaturisation, unlocking a wide range of applications, such as use by military vehicles and aircraft.
Improved clocks, such as this atomic device, will allow the Ministry of Defence to further support current and future capabilities. For example, quantum clocks can:
- Enable more precise and independent navigation systems, reducing reliance on GPS satellites, which are vulnerable to jamming or destruction in conflict scenarios.
- Secure communications systems, such as encrypted military networks, which depend on highly synchronised timekeeping.
- Enhance the accuracy of advanced weapon systems, like guided missiles, which rely on accurate timing to calculate trajectories and coordinate attacks.
- Allow our Armed Forces to gain an edge over adversaries in timing-critical operations, especially in areas like cyber warfare, where milliseconds can make a difference.
Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry, Maria Eagle MP, said:
“Integrating cutting edge technology into existing capabilities exemplifies the Government’s commitment to innovation in the defence sector, and to ensuring our Armed Forces have the best kit possible to keep us secure at home and strong abroad.
“The trialling of this emerging, groundbreaking technology could not only strengthen our operational capability, but also drive progress in industry, bolster our science sector and support high-skilled jobs.”
The trial is the first time that Dstl has tested a UK-built optical atomic clock outside of a laboratory, offering a new capability beyond the Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) that currently exist. GNSS vulnerabilities are a known national security risk, with atomic clock technology having the potential to provide a stable sovereign-controlled capability for maintenance of precise time for critical operations.
Dstl’s Chief Executive, Paul Hollinshead, said: “This first trial of advanced atomic clock represents a significant achievement in the UK’s quantum technology capabilities. The data gathered will not only shape future Defence effort but is also a signal to industry and academia that we are serious about exploring quantum technologies for secure and resilient operational advantage.”
The trial involved key partners including Infleqtion (UK), Aquark Technologies, HCD Research and Imperial College London, as well as in-house technology developed at Dstl’s quantum laboratory. These prototype frequency standards were tested in collaboration with the Royal Navy’s Office of the Chief Technical Officer and the Army Futures team at the BattleLab.
Commander Matt Steele, the Future Technology Officer for the Royal Navy’s Office of the Chief Technical Officer, said:
“The Navy has been looking at quantum technologies for a number of years and it is exciting to see that the challenges of physics and engineering in this area are now no longer a scientific concept, but is now reaching the cusp of reality.”
“In the next few years, the ability to operate effectively, to survive, and to navigate and also to remain lethal with the use of Quantum alongside GPS will secure operational advantage.”
The ‘Demonstration of Advanced Timing Apparatus’ (DATA) is part of a planned series of experiments designed to understand the performance and limitations of quantum clocks, with potential benefits for military and national infrastructure resilience.
The MOD, via Dstl, has invested more than £28 m to shape the UK’s research and development to achieve early adopter advantage of these ground-breaking technologies and put defence and security needs at the forefront of the UK efforts.
Jonathan, a technical leader for industry partner Infleqtion, said:
“Quantum is really important to the UK especially from a defence perspective. If you look at what’s happening in the world at the moment, it’s becoming increasingly obvious that we need better and more robust position navigation and timing services, and that’s something that quantum is uniquely placed to be able to provide.” (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
30 Dec 24. DARPA eyeing new quantum sensing program. Defense officials see quantum sensors as promising capabilities for alternative positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR). A quantum sensor-based magnetic anomaly navigation system gathers data on a C-17 Globemaster III cargo aircraft during a flight over Charleston, South Carolina, Feb. 22, 2024.
The Pentagon’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency may soon launch a new program to develop more robust quantum sensors that can be integrated onto U.S. military platforms, according to a special notice.
Pentagon officials see quantum sensors as promising capabilities for alternative positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR).
However, there are challenges involved in deploying the technology that DARPA aims to tackle with a new program that it’s looking to kick off, dubbed Robust Quantum Sensors (RoQS).
The initiative “seeks to bring quantum sensors to DoD platforms. While quantum sensors have demonstrated exceptional laboratory performance in a number of modalities (magnetic and electrical field, acceleration, rotation, and gravity, etc.), their performance degrades once the sensor is placed on moving platforms due to electrical and magnetic fields, field gradients, and system vibrations. RoQS seeks to overcome these challenges through innovative physics approaches to quantum sensing. The forthcoming RoQS program aims to develop and demonstrate quantum sensors that inherently resist performance degradation from platform interferers and demonstrate them on a government-provided platform,” officials wrote in a special notice and future program announcement recently posted on Sam.gov.
DARPA, which reports to the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, hopes to transition RoQS-developed sensors onto U.S. military platforms with associated programs of record to help fulfill requirements. To that end, the agency intends to work with contractors and platform builders to identify systems for quantum sensor integration and also government platform owners to facilitate integration and testing at the end of the program, per the notice.
Pentagon officials and others have been working to mature quantum technology for real-world applications.
Quantum tech “translates the principles of quantum physics into technological applications,” a recently updated Congressional Research Service report explained, including concepts like superposition — or the ability of quantum systems to exist in two or more states simultaneously — and entanglement where “two or more quantum objects in a system can be intrinsically linked such that measurement of one dictates the possible measurement outcomes for another, regardless of how far apart the two objects are.”
Although DOD officials see potential uses for quantum-enabled capabilities in other areas like computing, encryption and communications, sensing is considered by many observers to be the most mature application for near-term use by the Pentagon.
That’s the one “that we know by far the most about,” John Burke, principal director for quantum science in the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, said in June at a tech summit hosted by Defense One.
Such capabilities could provide an alternative to the Global Positioning System in case GPS is denied or degraded in future operating environments.
“You’ve probably heard about jamming and spoofing concerns, for example. So we’re busily working on other quantum technologies to input positioning and timing at the edge of the warfighter so that they don’t rely on GPS all the time,” Burke said. “So that’s sort of the earliest thing we’re working on. There’s a whole slew of technologies under that umbrella. We’re really pushing out on that. So even this year [in] 2024, we’ve got about $100 m coming out to work just on that area. So we’re really pushing hard on that.”
The Pentagon has been using its Accelerate the Procurement and Fielding of Innovative Technologies (APFIT) program to buy a new generation of atomic clocks that could be put into some “strategic assets,” he said, adding that “the first new wave of quantum technologies is really going out today.”
The CRS report noted that successful development and deployment of quantum sensors could boost detection of things like adversary submarines, underground structures, nuclear materials and electromagnetic emissions — and thereby help the U.S. military find concealed objects of interest and enemy forces.
For ISR there’s “an umbrella of remote sensing capabilities and a lot of different kinds of technologies in there. Things like magnetometers to find magnetic objects. You can imagine a lot of things that the military might care about … may have iron in them or steel, things that are magnetic. So we’re tracking trying to figure how to use those in all kinds of different ways,” Burke said.
Currently, quantum technologies are “a little bit expensive,” he noted.
“But that’s okay for certain strategic missions in the military. So we’re starting from those kinds of missions that go with anything — submarines, strategic bombers, long-range sort of missiles … these kinds of assets, to start inserting new technologies,” he said. “We have these things called magnetometers you can put in systems for like this thing called magnetic navigation. It’s extremely robust. We’re really excited about that. There’s navigation technologies. Once we get those established, we can start building up the manufacturing base, first in the Defense Department. That’s the path that we’ve taken. But I think in the long run, you’re gonna see these kinds of technologies proliferate into civilian” sectors. (Source: Google/https://defensescoop.com/)
31 Dec 24. KULR Technology partners with US Army for helicopters vibration reduction study. The 12-month study will be undertaken in conjunction with the South Carolina National Guard at McEntire Joint National Guard Base.
KULR Technology Group has a collaboration with the US Army to conduct an evaluation of its KULR VIBE system, which is designed to reduce vibrations and achieve optimal balance on AH-64E Apache and UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters.
The AH-64E serves in Attack/Reconnaissance Battalions, while and UH-60M serves in various capacities, including troop and cargo transport under diverse flight conditions.
Scheduled to start in 2025, the latest 12-month study will be undertaken in conjunction with the South Carolina National Guard at McEntire Joint National Guard Base.
The study’s objective is to determine the efficacy of KULR VIBE in meeting strict vibration standards, simplifying track and balance operations, and diminishing long-term maintenance costs.
This is expected to enhance the longevity and dependability of the aircraft.
This initiative is expected to improve the operational availability of Army Aviation while curbing overall costs.
Post-study, the results will be disseminated for consideration, which may lead to the broad implementation of the KULR VIBE system within Army Aviation, the company noted.
KULR Technology Sales and Marketing vice president Ted Krupp said: “KULR is proud to collaborate with the US Army on this forward-thinking initiative.
“It is an honour to be entrusted to explore innovative ways to improve operational availability and cost-efficiency. We are excited by the potential of KULR VIBE to be a force multiplier for military aviation, enhancing both reliability and safety while reducing maintenance overhead.”
KULR has previously engaged with the US Marine Corps on the AH-1Z Viper that resulted in cost savings and operational efficiencies.
(Source: army-technology.com)
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Oxley specialises in the design and manufacture of advanced electronic and electro-optic components and systems for air, land and sea applications within the military sector. Established in 1942, Oxley has manufacturing facilities in the UK and USA and enjoys representation worldwide. The company’s products include night vision and LED lighting, data capture systems and electronic components. Oxley has pioneered the development of night vision compatible lighting. It offers a total package incorporating optical filters, equipment modification, cockpit and external lighting along with fleet wide upgrade services including engineering, installation, support, maintenance and training. The company’s long experience of manufacturing night vision lighting and LED indicators, coupled with advances in LED technology, has enabled it to develop LED solutions to replace incandescent and fluorescent lighting in existing applications as well as becoming the lighting option of choice in new applications such as portable military hospitals, UAV control stations and communication shelters.
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