The US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is actively seeking proposals for a groundbreaking high-precision atomic clock technology that aims to significantly enhance the coordination and navigation capabilities of drone swarms operating in environments where GPS signals are either degraded or unavailable. This initiative comes in response to the evolving challenges posed by advanced enemy electronic warfare strategies, which have exposed the vulnerabilities of traditional satellite-based navigation systems.
The AFRL’s request highlights the importance of developing advanced position, navigation, and timing (PNT) technologies capable of ensuring high timing coherency across a swarm of drones. The proposed solutions would allow unmanned aerial systems (UAS) to maintain precise internal time references, facilitating synchronized movements, formation flying, sensor fusion, and coordinated mission execution without reliance on GPS capabilities.
The Joint Multi-INT Precision Reference VPX system, which features the Next Generation Atomic Clock, exemplifies the kind of technology the AFRL is considering. This ruggedized system boasts remarkable specifications, offering stability to within a single-digit picosecond (one trillionth of a second) and accuracy at the sub-nanosecond (one billionth of a second) level.
The necessity for such advanced systems has become increasingly apparent, particularly as evidence from recent conflicts, like the ongoing situation in Ukraine, underscores the risks associated with satellite-dependent operations. Both Ukrainian and Russian forces have deployed sophisticated electronic warfare technologies that effectively jam or spoof GPS signals, thereby disrupting precision targeting and navigation.
In an official notice, the AFRL emphasized the critical nature of achieving high timing coherency among drones within a swarm. They stressed that this capability is essential for ensuring coordination, communication, and collective maneuvering in contested environments where electronic warfare tactics could compromise operational effectiveness.
To meet these challenges, the AFRL plans to implement a decentralized PNT architecture that allows drones to navigate independently using onboard sensors and the relative positions of adjacent aircraft. Such a system would create local reference frames through relational measurements between drones, significantly enhancing operational resilience in the face of GPS disruptions. The proposed PNT testbed aims to facilitate a cold-start navigation capability, progressively improving the accuracy of position and timing data.
The initial goal is to support swarms of four drones, with an emphasis on scalability that could accommodate larger swarms in future applications. Furthermore, resilience against electronic warfare threats, particularly GPS jamming and spoofing, is a top priority in the development of this technology. The AFRL has stipulated stringent requirements regarding size, weight, and power to ensure that the systems can be integrated into compact drone architectures without compromising performance.
Proposals for this innovative technology are due by September 19, 2025, marking an important step toward fortifying the capabilities of drone operations in increasingly challenging environments.
