Why the Pentagon needs a quantum czar

Why the Pentagon needs a quantum czar
Why the Pentagon needs a quantum czar

In this op-ed, Rebecca Grant outlines the reasons the Defense Department should consider appointing a Principal Quantum Adviser.

Quantum: Pentagon must jumpstart 3 key applications, urges AFA

Quantum: Pentagon must jumpstart 3 key applications, urges AFA
Quantum: Pentagon must jumpstart 3 key applications, urges AFA

Tech giants and venture capitalists are pouring billions into developing quantum computers. But related tech of special interest to the military — quantum sensing, navigation and communications — needs stepped-up federal funding, the Air Force Association says.

Saving Schrödinger’s Cat: Getting serious about post-quantum encryption in 2024

Saving Schrödinger’s Cat: Getting serious about post-quantum encryption in 2024
Saving Schrödinger’s Cat: Getting serious about post-quantum encryption in 2024

The National Institute of Standards & Technology is about to release its long-awaited “post-quantum encryption” algorithms. Then comes the hard part: installing them everywhere.

‘Off to the races’: DARPA, Harvard breakthrough brings quantum computing years closer

‘Off to the races’: DARPA, Harvard breakthrough brings quantum computing years closer
‘Off to the races’: DARPA, Harvard breakthrough brings quantum computing years closer

Quantum bits are potentially powerful but notoriously error-prone. Now a Harvard team says it has found a way to prevent mistakes — by manipulating individual atoms with laser beams — making quantum processing much more efficient.

Anglo-French defense firms gather to talk quantum, missiles and other ‘complex weapons’

Anglo-French defense firms gather to talk quantum, missiles and other ‘complex weapons’
Anglo-French defense firms gather to talk quantum, missiles and other ‘complex weapons’

Led by a core team of industry partners including MBDA, Leonardo, Thales, Roxel, Safran and CEA, technology areas are designed to support a variety of use cases which include tactical and deep strike, surface and force protection, and air dominance.

‘All systems need to be hardened’: Officials, industry sound the alarm on quantum threat to encryption

‘All systems need to be hardened’: Officials, industry sound the alarm on quantum threat to encryption
‘All systems need to be hardened’: Officials, industry sound the alarm on quantum threat to encryption

New “quantum resistant” encryption standards won’t be finalized until next year, but officials and experts say agencies and industry should start hunting vulnerabilities hidden in their software and hardware, including embedded chips critical to US weapons.

Military planes should be built with quantum technology in mind: UK official

Military planes should be built with quantum technology in mind: UK official
Military planes should be built with quantum technology in mind: UK official

The leap to quantum tech will be a “tank versus cavalry, machine guns versus humans moment,” said UK’s Minister of State for the Armed Forces, James Heappey.

Expand National Quantum Initiative to keep up with China, say officials, experts, legislators

Expand National Quantum Initiative to keep up with China, say officials, experts, legislators
Expand National Quantum Initiative to keep up with China, say officials, experts, legislators

With 2018 National Quantum Initiative Act up for renewal, the House Science Committee held a hearing on how to expand the NQI’s support to government, academic, and industry R&D – with Chinese competition much in mind.

Israel’s IAI seeking to increase US ties on quantum, hypersonics

Israel’s IAI seeking to increase US ties on quantum, hypersonics
Israel’s IAI seeking to increase US ties on quantum, hypersonics

Tightening relations with US organizations to develop next-gen technology is part of an overall business strategy to try and develop a suite of future-focused weapons, according to Eytan Eshel, IAI’s executive vice president for R&D, technology and innovation.

DARPA’s explorations in quantum computing search for the art of the possible in the realm of the improbable

DARPA’s explorations in quantum computing search for the art of the possible in the realm of the improbable
DARPA’s explorations in quantum computing search for the art of the possible in the realm of the improbable

Physicists say it is a flip of the coin whether quantum computing will end up a revolutionary capability or not much better than today’s supercomputers. And yet, quantum’s potential means there’s too much promise there to ignore.

‘Disruptive impact’: India’s military starts investing in quantum key distribution

‘Disruptive impact’: India’s military starts investing in quantum key distribution
‘Disruptive impact’: India’s military starts investing in quantum key distribution

“In the military, where you’re sending extremely sensitive classified data from one office to the next, you want to make sure that no one’s going to be able to break into and decrypt that,” Arthur Herman, senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, said. “Well, [quantum key distribution] is definitely a way in which to carry that out.” 

NIST picks 4 ‘quantum-resistant’ encryption algorithms to protect US data

NIST picks 4 ‘quantum-resistant’ encryption algorithms to protect US data
NIST picks 4 ‘quantum-resistant’ encryption algorithms to protect US data

“What’s important, though, is to realize that migrating an entire federal agency or private sector company to new algorithms is a huge task,” Duncan Jones, head of cybersecurity at Quantinuum, told Breaking Defense.

New White House directive warns of cryptological risks from quantum computers

New White House directive warns of cryptological risks from quantum computers
New White House directive warns of cryptological risks from quantum computers

“Research shows that at some point in the not too distant future when quantum information science matures and quantum computers are able to reach a sufficient size and level of sophistication, they’ll be capable of breaking much of the cryptography that currently secures our digital communication,” a senior administration official said.

NSA Renews Focus On Securing Military Weapons Systems Against ‘Capable’ Rivals

NSA Renews Focus On Securing Military Weapons Systems Against ‘Capable’ Rivals
NSA Renews Focus On Securing Military Weapons Systems Against ‘Capable’ Rivals

“In terms of weapons systems, we have computers on wings, at sea, and on land. We don’t think of [weapons systems] that way, but none of them work without computers,” NSA’s Joyce said.