Infleqtion Clock Tests Navy GPS-Free Timing

The Tiqker optical atomic clock ran for two weeks at sea during the U.S. Navy's Maritime Big Play Pacific exercise.

Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Quantum Computing

Compact equipment cabinet on a grey steel ship deck with open sea and a pale horizon visible beyond, under overcast daylight. — Infleqtion ran its Tiqker optical atomic clock aboard the U.S. Navy support vessel RV Merlin for two weeks during the Maritime Big Play Pacific exercise, testing timing that does not rely on GPS. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Infleqtion operated its compact Tiqker optical atomic clock aboard the U.S. Navy support vessel RV Merlin for two weeks in the Southern California operating area. The trial evaluated precision timing that does not depend on GPS and supported BARB-26, a Navy exercise focused on subsea and seabed warfare.

Why it matters

GPS signals can be unavailable, jammed or spoofed, leaving military systems without reliable timing. A clock that maintains precise local timing could help keep naval communications, radar and other onboard systems synchronized in those conditions.

The clock ran continuously for more than two weeks at sea through large temperature swings and sustained vibration. Infleqtion has not released frequency-stability or holdover figures, so its precision under these conditions is not yet publicly quantified.

The players

Infleqtion

Infleqtion is a quantum technology company that developed the Tiqker compact optical atomic clock tested in the Navy exercise.

U.S. Navy

The U.S. Navy is the branch of the U.S. military that ran the at-sea trial aboard the RV Merlin during the exercise.

The details

The Tiqker clock was operated aboard the RV Merlin during the Maritime Big Play Pacific exercise, an AUKUS Pillar II demonstration in which the U.S. Navy and partners from Australia and the United Kingdom tested systems. The event included more than 40 technologies from government and industry participants and was sponsored by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering's Critical Technologies office.

2024: Clock completed UK flight trials aboard QinetiQ's RJ100 Airborne Technology Demonstrator.
2025: Clock was deployed aboard the Royal Navy's uncrewed submarine testbed XV Excalibur during multiple dives.
Oct. 5 to 25: Maritime Big Play Pacific exercise held in the Southern California operating area.

The Tech Race

The trial builds on GPS, the satellite navigation system that has supplied military timing for decades and is increasingly exposed to jamming and spoofing. Optical atomic clocks like the Tiqker are being tested as a portable alternative that could keep naval systems synchronized when satellite signals fail.

For civilians, the trial signals a future where navigation and timing equipment may rely less on GPS, though no consumer product has been announced. The results so far are operational tests, and the company has not said when such clocks could reach commercial users.

The takeaway

Precise timing underpins modern communications, and a GPS-independent option is a practical hedge against signal jamming. Watch for published stability data to judge how the clock compares with existing military timing hardware.