Introduction
Increasingly, over the last twenty-five years, GPS Signal jamming and, more lately, spoofing, has been used as a tool of war and is now being used against merchant vessels in the Straits of Hormuz, in the Red Sea and in the Black Sea. This has resulted in a vessel, the MSC ANTONIA, running aground near Eliza Shoals, close to Jeddah Port and at least one collision close to where the Straits of Hormuz joins the Gulf of Oman between two vessels namely the VLCC Front Eagle and the Suezmax tanker Adalynn.
GPS jamming incidents pose serious risks to safe navigation, especially in congested and strategically vital chokepoints like the Strait of Hormuz. In such environments, accurate positioning is critical for collision avoidance, effective voyage planning, and adherence to traffic separation schemes. With over 120 vessels transiting this key maritime corridor each day, the region accounts for transportation of approximately 20% of the world’s oil and gas, any disruption can have far-reaching implications for global trade and energy security.
Windward has identified at least two GPS interference hotspots since the onset of increased regional tensions, affecting approximately 1,000 vessels (including 97 tankers and 110 cargo vessels) from June 12 to June 15, 2025. AIS signals have been notably disrupted around Iranian ports at Asaluyeh and Bandar Abbas, with other false signals appearing off the Omani coast.
Commercial shipping has continued but transits through the Strait have declined from 147 vessels on June 9 to 111 vessels by June 15.
On June 23rd, over 1,000 ships were stranded in the Persian Gulf according to Armenia 1 News Channel News (a Middle Eastern national news outlet). Ship operators report rising concerns over navigational reliability, highlighting increased occurrences of false positions, signal dropouts, and spoofed vessel identifications. The Joint Maritime Information Centre, a multinational initiative to provide advice to ships in the Middle East, said the “extreme” interference stemmed from the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas and recommended ships navigate with radar or visuals.
At the moment, connectivity service providers are providing helpline telephone support services to its customers in such situations.
What is being done?
One simple and obvious solution is to return to more traditional methods of navigation using Sextants, Astrolabes, accurate paper charts Ships are still required to hold a number of paper charts and crew are trained to use them, but the process is cumbersome compared to digital navigation
Marlink provides dedicated telephone support to customers around the world and has stated the growth in support requests in 2025 has increased dramatically from past years. In 2024, the help desk might receive one call every two weeks from clients concerned that their GPS was unavailable. By mid-July 2025, it receives reports from more than 150 vessels in a single day.
Marlink’s centre of excellence at its Eik teleport is advising on manual work-arounds to vulnerable users and the Maritime Engineering-CTA team is also developing products to make Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) communications much more resilient in the long term.
A solution more in keeping with modern methods is quantum gravity measurement. This system allows precise position measurement referencing the Earth’s gravity field. The Earth’s gravity has not yet been hacked although it is likely on someone’s to-do list.
Quantum gravity detectors use lasers to measure the rate of descent of ultra-cold atoms and allow a precise position reading in fractions of a meter against known gravity readings. The Earth’s gravity field is not static but somewhat dynamic due to internal and external factors such as earthquakes and the positions of moon and sun relative to our planet. That said, Quantum gravity readings provide better accuracy than the Global Positioning System (GPS).
Who is looking at these solutions?
Below we have listed some companies active in this area and the status of their solutions and services:
Infeqtion, a US company based in Boulder Colorado, has a tested system trialled with BAE Systems and QinetiQ using a commercial flight to show that the system is unaffected by GPS jamming and spoofing and is independent of satellite signals. Exaqt quantum gravimeter delivers high-resolution gravitational sensing for navigation, exploration, and security applications. By detecting subtle variations in gravity, Exaqt enables precise positioning in GPS-denied environments. The system is, claimed by Infeqution, also resilient in harsh and dynamic environments, such as maritime.
The French company, Exail, located on the outskirts of Paris, was formed in 2022 by the combination of the ECA Group and iXblue, and provides robust navigation information in environments that experience long-term Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) outages. Their products offer a complete range of Fibre-Optic Gyroscope (FOG)-based Attitude and Heading Reference Systems (AHRS) and Inertial Navigation Systems (INS) dedicated to maritime surface applications. They do not yet offer quantum sensor navigation aids yet.
BAE Systems PLC is the result of a conglomeration of defence companies dating back hundreds of years. As British Aerospace, it was founded in 1977 and became BAE Systems in 1999. It is interested in secure navigation as part of its defence brief so, although they are currently at low technology readiness levels, there has been rapid development of quantum sensing which is the technology closest to being incorporated into BAE’s products. Using quantum sensing allows the production of inertial navigation systems (accelerometers) that have the potential to provide accurate navigation without the need for GPS.
Caledonian Photonics LTD, founded in May 2018 and based in Stirling, is a consultancy whose expertise is in the field of robust, miniaturised solid-state lasers and associated optical systems. These are an essential component of quantum gravity sensing as the lasers are used to take the atoms to near 0 Kelvin. Cold-atom interferometry allows quantum sensors to assess nano-scale gravitational differences.
SBQuantum, based in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada in 2017 as a spinout from the Université de Sherbrooke’s Institut Quantique, is a quantum magnetometer manufacturer, and its MagNav solution TRL2-3 is yet to achieve commercial viability.
Delta-g a spin-out company from the University of Birmingham is commercialising the quantum gravity sensor technology for various applications. By harnessing the fundamental force of gravity, it will be possible to provide an alternative, more reliable navigation system and a better way to monitor resources as climate change is addressed. In 2023, a quantum sensor based on atom interferometry with potential applications in mapping and alternative navigation, built by the UK Quantum Technology Hub in Sensors and Timing researchers at the University of Birmingham, was successfully tested in trials on a ship in the North Sea in conjunction with Delta-g. This technology offers new capabilities for mapping the ocean and resilient long-term navigation.
RSK Group, an engineering group established in 1989 in Aberdeen but now headquartered in Cheshire, are developing a new ground mapping technology, a ‘quantum gravity gradiometer’ called Gravity Pioneer, which works by detecting variations in microgravity using the principles of quantum physics. This was tested outside the lab for the first time in 2022, successfully detecting a hidden underground object. The technology offers potentially faster, cheaper, and more reliable capabilities than current systems, with the opportunity to reduce the time needed for surveys, for example, from a month to a few days. While not yet ready to assist maritime navigation, the system will undoubtedly be useful for this purpose in the future.
Teledyne e2v can trace its roots back to the early 1940s as a part of the Marconi group, manufacturing magnetrons for defence radar systems. It went through several incarnations until being bought by the US Teledyne group in 2017. Its headquarters are in Chelmsford, Essex, UK. The company is developing a quantum gravity gradient sensor that is based on cold atom interferometry technology. When used for navigation, it will have highly penetrating sensing capability, it will be sensitive to changes in nearby density or mass, it will also have advanced environmental resilience, and faster measurement time, especially as it is engineered for robustness and environmental stability
Fraunhofer UK Research Ltd is a not-for-profit company registered in Scotland and based in Glasgow. It specialises in applied laser research and development, an essential component of quantum gravity sensors. As such, they collaborate with six companies on the development of High-BIAS2: High-Bandwidth Inertial Atom Source & Sensor, which will demonstrate the ability of a quantum rotation sensor’s ability to stabilise the orientation of aircraft guidance system in the absence of GNSS signals. Local stabilisation using quantum technology will decrease the reliance of navigation systems on GNSS and provides a measure of protection against signal loss, jamming, and spoofing to increase safety and security. If it can be applied to aircraft, it can be applied in the maritime industry.
Alter Technology started in Madrid in 1986 as Tecnologica and after several iteration and acquisitions became integrated into the TÜV NORD GROUP. The company is a leading provider of micro and optoelectronics services. It is partnering with Infleqtion, the global quantum ecosystem leader, and Fraunhofer UK Research Ltd, a not-for-profit research and technology organisation whose mission is to provide professional R&D services to develop packaging solutions for Tapered AmpLifiErs for quaNtum Technologies (TALENT). Quantum sensors and clocks for next-generation. Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) systems require high-power lasers for their operation. Typically, quantum systems use low power semiconductor laser diodes that have limited output powers, optical tapered amplifiers allow laser light to be amplified from mW levels to Watts without affecting the critical spectral and frequency properties. TALENT will produce optical tapered amplifiers with performance, reliability, SWaP (Size, Weight and Power) and ease of integration that are not commercially available today. High reliability packaging and manufacturing techniques will be implemented to ensure stable operation over a range of environmental conditions which will perfectly fit for real-world deployable quantum systems.
Geomatrix Ltd was formed in 2024 after a management buy-out, following the retirement of the co-founders of Geomatrix Earth Science, which was founded in 1995 in Bedfordshire, UK. Its main business is hiring or selling geophysical equipment. As such, the company partners in the Gravity Pioneer Project, which aims to develop the first commercial quantum technology gravity gradiometer sensor to reveal the invisible in the shallow subsurface. This will be achieved through regular field evaluations, which drive the sensor development.
Silicon Microgravity Limited (SMG) is a technology company focused on the inertial navigation and gravity markets. Over 10 years of research and development, first at Cambridge University’s Nanoscience Department and then carried on inside SMG, has gone into their resonant MEMS (silicon microelectromechanical systems) technology. SMG’s team of scientists and engineers are based in their Technology Centre in Waterbeach, north of Cambridge, England. SMG focuses on two markets. The first is inertial navigation where their MEMS accelerometers and gyroscopes provide higher accuracy, smaller form factor and lower cost compared to existing sensors. The second is gravity sensing where their MEMS gravimeters offer robust, compact solutions for gravity surveys and alternative navigation. The company does not yet offer quantum-based navigation aids.
QinetiQ was formed in July 2001, when the Ministry of Defence (MOD) split its Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA) in two divisions. In February 2006, QinetiQ was successfully floated on the London Stock Exchange. The company specialises in defence evaluation and development of enhanced systems for defence and offense. On 9th May 2024, in a first-of-its-kind achievement, QinetiQ in partnership with Infeqtion and BAE Systems successfully completed commercial flight trials of advanced quantum-based navigation systems that cannot be jammed or spoofed by hostile actors using new quantum-based Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) systems which could, over time, offer one part of a larger solution to providing highly accurate and resilient navigation that complements current satellite systems It was tested in an aircraft but should work perfectly in a maritime environment.
Redwave Edwave Labs LTD was established in 2004 to provide electronics and optics design, development and pilot production using the latest technological developments. They focus on control electronics for spectroscopy and all quantum technologies, including solutions for encryption, sensing and single photon detection. They have systems to control the lasers.
They are involved in the UK’s High-BIAS2 (High Bandwidth Inertial Atom Source) project. This is a research and development project to advance the development of a cold atom-based Quantum Positioning System, which enables vehicle navigation without a Global Positioning System (GPS) or a Global Navigation Satellite System signal.
Nomad Atomics is an Australian company founded in 2018. The company builds state-of-the-art miniaturised quantum sensors specifically designed and hardened for deployment in field applications. Specialising in a suite of quantum sensors, from magnetometers to gravimeters to clocks, these sensors are at the forefront of cutting-edge technology. The company is part of a three-year ambitious project – QuoGkA – aimed at developing a compact atomic gravimeter. Leveraging advanced optical integration and packaging, this project redefines how gravitational fields are measured. Co-funded by the European Union by the funding program ProFit (IBB). Working together with Fraunhofer IZM to develop gravimeters into practical, compact systems that can even measure gravitational fields from drones and certainly on the bridge of merchant vessels.
Finally, a collaborative partnership of Iridium Communications, SGM Technology, and NAL Research have worked alongside Tschudi Shipping Company to deliver a robust solution aimed at protecting maritime vessels from GPS and GNSS threats such as spoofing, jamming, and signal interference. Leveraging Iridium’s LEO network for global coverage, the service provides assured navigation and reliable tracking, even in degraded or compromised environments. NAL, an American military and land specialist, contributes its decades of expertise in Assured Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (APNT), while SGM, Norwegian fishing technology, brings extensive experience in maritime technology solutions. Together, they offer a resilient, authenticated L-band signal designed to detect spoofing attempts and maintain operational safety, helping safeguard ships, cargo, and crew against growing navigational threats worldwide. Presently, project is testing its potential service in various sea regions around the world.
Summary
The development technology is not yet ready to scale to large-scale production, but the gravitational map of the planet is regarded as complete (although fine detail may be needed) thanks to missions like GOCE (Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer) and GRACE (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment). So, it is likely to be five years or so before commercially available quantum gravity navigation aids are available.
Five years may seem optimistic, but it is arguably too long as the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR, or Industry 4.0) grips development and manufacturing. International conflicts only increase both of these but also introduce other problems of economic and social change. If the drone industry is used as an example, the last 25 years have seen drones that cost millions of dollars used singly in operations by the US military to mass attacks with hundreds of drones that cost less than a television set. Further examples are electric vehicles, battery storage, and biotechnology which have bloomed in the last decade. Service industry development such as Fintech, streaming and similar are discounted as not comparable.
GNSS has proved vulnerable in areas of high tension. This is unacceptable for world trade, so alternative solutions are almost mandatory. Quantum inertial navigation systems (Q-INS) meet this requirement. Cost and availability are current a hindrance but, in 4IR, that will be overcome. MEMS systems are also a solution although the accuracy and linearity are less than quantum systems.
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