GPS Competitor: Quantum Timekeeping System Achieves Picosecond Accuracy

The American satellite navigation system GPS (Global Positioning System) may soon have a more than worthy competitor. A quantum synchronization system developed by the American company Infleqtion (INFQ) and the French company Safran Electronics & Defense has surpassed GPS, achieving picosecond accuracy during real-world testing. Details of this latest development have been published by the online military publication NextGenDefense.

During the demonstration, Infleqtion's Tiqker quantum optical clock was combined with Safran's White Rabbit and SecureSync synchronization platforms. The tests were conducted in collaboration with the Quantum Corridor, a transnational innovation platform that connects projects in quantum technologies, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and semiconductors in Spain, France, Switzerland, and the United States.

Test results for the new integrated system demonstrate a level of accuracy significantly exceeding that of satellite synchronization systems, which are typically limited to nanosecond precision. Unlike GPS and other GNSS systems, which are focused solely on maximum performance, the architecture of the American-French invention is designed to ensure stable synchronization in conditions of weak, unstable, or absent satellite signals. This should ensure the consistency of mission-critical operations even when traditional positioning and synchronization sources are disrupted.

Infleqtion CEO Matt Kinsella:

Reliable synchronization is the foundation of national security, secure communications, and the infrastructure that underpins the global economy. We've combined quantum precision with proven synchronization systems to ensure the independence and reliability needed for mission-critical operations.

Modern defense and civilian infrastructure relies on satellite navigation networks for precise time synchronization, but these signals remain vulnerable to interference. Jamming or interference can negatively impact military, financial, and energy systems.

By reducing dependence on external satellite signals, the new quantum timing system provides more stable and reliable synchronization for mission-critical operations. It is now available worldwide to users in the defense, telecommunications, and critical infrastructure sectors, according to its developers. In December 2025, it was reported that the solution is planned to be available for use in early 2026 through Safran's distribution network.

• Alexander Grigoryev
• Pentagon

Source: https://en.topwar.ru