Congress should establish, fund new quantum tech initiative to beat China: Panel
The 2025 annual US-China Commission report also urges lawmakers bolster funding to the US Space Force to establish "space superiority" against the PLA.
Qunnect announces Air Force contract for quantum networking over conventional fiber
The Air Force Research Lab’s award to the NYC-based startup is also a vote of confidence in the idea of using quantum particles for secure communications — an idea of which the NSA has long been skeptical.
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Powering the future: Securing America with domestically made microelectronics
Onshoring and investment in military-specific semiconductors anchor a cornerstone of the defense industrial base.
Air Force Research lab awards PsiQuantum $10.8M for experimental quantum chips
The deal gives AFRL scientists access to manufacturing tools developed by PsiQuantum and GlobalFoundries, allowing them to build experimental designs for barium titanate chips that use particles of light instead of electricity.
DARPA adds 18 companies to spooky science Quantum Benchmarking Initiative
"The number of companies that we're announcing is a surprise to me," program manager Joe Altepeter told Breaking Defense. "I did not expect we would get this many.”
RoQS for a hard place: DARPA seeks radically more ‘robust’ quantum sensors for ‘inhospitable’ fieldwork
Quantum tech could provide high-precision alternatives to GPS for targeting or sonar for hunting submarines. But the same hyper-sensitivity that makes them such good sensors also makes them fatally vulnerable to interference — so far. A new DARPA program aims to change that.
DARPA plans ‘major expansion’ of quantum computing push next month
In March, DARPA will add multiple companies to its Quantum Benchmarking Initiative, program manager Joe Altepeter told Breaking Defense. “A year from now we’ll know a lot more about if this industry is for real or not.”
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Data overload threatens decisionmakers as autonomy expands
Reducing cognitive overload on warfighters while improving “time to trust” for autonomous systems is a matter of design.
Pentagon info officer’s top priority: Upgrading cryptography ahead of quantum-enabled hackers
“We've got to think ahead as to what the adversary might be working on and develop algorithms that are there in time to meet the adversary's ability to crack those algorithms,” David McKeown, deputy DoD CIO, said.
DARPA ‘quantum skeptic’ challenges industry: Prove me wrong
“We're going to do our best to disprove anybody who steps through our door,” said DARPA’s Joe Altepeter, “[but if] you convince my team, we will be your advocate inside the government, in rooms you can’t go.”
‘No time to waste’: NIST formally issues standards for defense against quantum hacking
“This is the starting gun for what may be the single largest overhaul of US government communication systems since the adoption of the Internet, as ordered by the President in National Security Memorandum 10,” said RAND scientist Edward Parker. “It will probably go on for decades and will cost billions of dollars.”
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.
10 Breaking Defense op-eds that defined 2025
It's been a whirlwind of a year — and the defense establishment has plenty of thoughts on how it's unfolded and what might come next.
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
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
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’
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.