World-first: Quantum optical atomic clock deployed on unmanned sub

The article reports the successful world-first deployment of Infleqtion’s Tiqker quantum optical atomic clock on the Royal Navy’s unmanned testbed submarine, Excalibur (XCal). This trial demonstrated the clock’s ability to operate reliably through multiple dives, providing highly precise timing critical for resilient positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) in GPS-denied underwater environments. By integrating a compact optical clock with laboratory-grade performance directly onboard, the Tiqker offers a stable “time heartbeat” that reduces navigation drift, enabling submarines to remain submerged, accurate, and covert for longer periods. This deployment aboard the Excalibur, an extra-large uncrewed autonomous vehicle (XLUAV), marks a significant advancement in autonomous underwater operations and reflects the Royal Navy’s trust in Infleqtion as a quantum technology partner. The Tiqker clock also enhances other submarine systems such as sonar, fire control, and secure communications, improving overall mission performance. Given that submarines cannot rely