A new high-tech UK-built atomic clock is set to provide military personnel with groundbreaking quantum technology allowing them to conduct more secure and precise operations.
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”, according to the MOD.
It adds that “the clock’s precision is so refined that it will lose less than one second over billions of years, allowing scientists to measure time at an unprecedented scale”.
The device is unique, the first of its kind to be built in the UK, and will be deployable on military operations in the next five years.
Providing more than precision timekeeping, quantum clocks will look to further improve GPS accuracy and could even transform global navigation systems, aiding in everything from satellite communication to aircraft navigation.
“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,” said the MOD.
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.
The MOD, via Dstl, has invested more than £28m 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”.
Defence Procurement and Industry Minister Maria Eagle 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.”
