Infleqtion's Quantum Tiqker Clock Achieves First Underwater Deployment On Royal Navy Submarine, Boosting GPS-Denied Navigation

Breakthrough trial with Tiqker clock aboard XCal submarine advances resilient navigation in GPS-denied environments

Infleqtion, a global leader in neutral atom–based quantum technology, today announced a successful trial with the Royal Navy and MSubs, marking the first-ever deployment of a quantum optical atomic clock on an underwater autonomous vehicle. The trial integrated Infleqtion's Tiqker optical atomic clock into the Royal Navy's Excalibur (XCal) testbed submarine, demonstrating precision timing capabilities critical for resilient positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) in GPS-denied environments. Infleqtion recently announced plans to go public through a merger with Churchill Capital Corp X (NASDAQ:CCCX).

This first-of-its-kind deployment took place aboard the Royal Navy's new Excalibur (XCal) extra-large uncrewed autonomous vehicle (XLUAV), a pioneering testbed advancing the UK's capabilities in autonomous underwater operations. Infleqtion is the first external technology partner invited to participate in the XCal program, reflecting the Royal Navy's trust in the company as a proven quantum provider for national defense.

Unlike other vessels, submarines cannot rely entirely on Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) for timing and navigation. Traditional microwave-based clocks provide stability but accumulate drift over time, which can degrade accuracy in GPS-denied environments. High-precision local clocks like Tiqker, add to submarine capability by maintaining accurate timing and navigation autonomously, reducing reliance on external signals and improving overall resilience.