Harlequin-st

A ship operated by the UK’s General Lighthouse Authority will soon test a quantum-powered navigation system that does not rely on GPS satellites. Global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) like GPS are vulnerable to jamming, spoofing, and signal loss. For maritime vessels—especially those navigating busy shipping lanes or hazardous coastal waters—losing positioning data can lead to collisions, groundings, or delays. The HARLEQUIN-ST project aims to build a backup: a hybrid inertial navigation system that uses quantum sensors to measure acceleration and rotation with extreme precision, combined with classical algorithms to correct for drift over time. Unlike GPS, this system works entirely onboard, needing no external signals. If the field trials succeed, the technology could give ships a reliable, tamper-proof navigation option when GPS is unavailable or compromised. The immediate impact is on maritime safety and resilience, but the same quantum-classical hybrid approach could eventually be adapted for submarines, aircraft, or autonomous vehicles operating in GPS-denied environments. The project is applied engineering—it tests a specific prototype in real sea conditions, then upgrades it based on performance data before a second validation trial.