As our world becomes increasingly powered by generative AI, the most sought-after resource is no longer oil or gold — it’s data. Staying ahead in the AI race requires constant troves of new data to create better generative AI models.

However, we cannot treat AI as just another consumer good designed to make life or work easier, where we simply choose the cheapest or most convenient assistant. The AI technologies we use shape the knowledge we absorb, influence our beliefs, and could become geopolitical tools for misinformation — a national security concern that cannot be overlooked.

For example, the recent high-performing chatbot developed by Chinese company DeepSeek does not provide information about Tiananmen Square and purveys common Chinese Communist Party propaganda about Taiwan and other topics. And yet, days after DeepSeek launched, it became the most popularly downloaded free application in the U.S.

In response, U.S. legislators proposed a bipartisan bill to ban DeepSeek from government devices. The aim is to prevent users from sending heaps of information to DeepSeek and to Chinese state-owned entities. By interacting with DeepSeek over the internet, we are surrendering the single most important resource in maintaining leadership in AI: data.

However, there are three big problems with the data required to train generative AI. First, the world is running out of the high-quality, real-world data required to train models, with Epoch AI predicting we may run out by 2028.

The second problem is that real-world data is inherently flawed and biased because it’s simply a collection of society’s beliefs and actions. Therefore, AI is liable to perpetuate existing political, racist, sexist, and other biases. The current administration has underscored the importance of developing “AI systems that are free from ideological bias or engineered social agendas.”

Third, real-world data is often incomplete. Within the Department of Defense (DOD), intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) systems can face collection gaps, resulting in incomplete data sets (e.g. incomplete satellite image data). In addition, computer security needs — such as identifying network intrusions or malware — may be weakened by incomplete data sets.

The solution to these problems is synthetic data. Synthetic data can augment real-world data by filling in critical gaps, help provide the volume of data needed to train AI and mitigate intrinsic biases. Synthetic data is designed to resemble real-world data and is artificially engineered by computers using algorithms, simulations, or machine learning models. Gartner predicts that more than half of the data used to train AI will be synthetic by 2030.

The benefits of synthetic data generated by today’s “classical” computers are that it’s widely available, affordable, and ideal for small to mid-scale problems with well-structured data. The drawbacks are that classical synthetic data can be less complex and diverse than real-world data, can struggle to capture the high-dimensional patterns needed for training AI, and may face future challenges in scaling quickly to meet growing data demands.

Quantum computing is the solution to these challenges. Quantum computers will generate higher volumes of data and higher quality data than classical synthetic data.

“The future of generative AI training lies in combining real-world data with both classical and quantum synthetic data,” says Dr. Graham Enos, vice president of quantum solutions at Strangeworks and a former DOD mathematician. “As quantum computing advances, quantum synthetic data will increasingly dominate the synthetic data used to train AI. What’s exciting is that synthetic data generation is one of the most immediate and practical applications of quantum computers.”

The seemingly otherworldly properties of quantum computers make them ideal for the machine learning and simulation tasks that generate synthetic data. Unlike classical computers, which rely on bits that are either 0 or 1, quantum computers use qubits that can exist in a superposition of both states simultaneously, providing exponentially greater computing power. Entanglement is another critical property of quantum computing that allows qubits to represent more complex data distributions, enabling more complicated calculations than classical computers. By leveraging both superposition and entanglement, quantum computers can double their compute power simply by adding one qubit — in contrast, classical systems require doubling the number of transistors to double compute power.

Five years ago, the largest quantum computer was Google’s 53-qubit Sycamore chip that demonstrated “beyond classical” performance on a computational benchmark. The largest machines built today, from IBM and Atom Computing, boast upwards of 1,000 qubits. While quantum computers are not yet outperforming classical computers for practical applications, including generating meaningful quantum synthetic data for commercial AI training, they are quickly approaching that moment.

Recently, quantum computing company Quantinuum, a spinoff from Honeywell, announced that data from its H2 quantum computer can train AI systems using its Generative Quantum AI framework.

In the announcement, Dr. Thomas Ehmer from the healthcare business sector of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt is quoted as saying, “While some may suggest that a standalone quantum computer is still years away, the commercial opportunities from this breakthrough are here and now…the [Quantinuum] Helios system, launching later this year will hopefully enable AI to be used in unprecedented ways and unlocking transformative potential across industries.”

Similarly, in work partially funded by the U.S. government, Rigetti (RGTI) used a quantum neural network to generate synthetic data and fill gaps in global weather radar coverage, matching the performance of a classical baseline model. (These quantum machine learning methods from Rigetti are available on Strangeworks.)

This type of work is directly applicable to enhancing C4ISR capabilities by leveraging advanced computer vision techniques to analyze complex sensor data. For example, programs like Project Maven use synthetic data to train AI models that interpret full-motion video (FMV), synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery, and other intelligence sources.

The impacts of quantum computing go beyond improving AI models. Additional defense-related applications include cybersecurity threat detection, adversarial intent prediction, cryptanalysis, electromagnetic spectrum operations, and many more.

Yet, China is outspending the U.S. four to one in federal quantum technology investment and is steadily closing the technology gap. If the U.S. wants to continue to lead the quantum computing race and be the first to fully leverage the power of quantum synthetic data, we must bolster public and private investment in quantum technologies.

First, due to the time and effort needed to develop quantum workflows, government and private organizations should start working with experts today to identify use cases and build the hybrid infrastructure needed for rapid adoption of quantum data.

Second, the U.S. must reauthorize the National Quantum Initiative (NQI) Act, which accounts for about half of federal investment in quantum technologies. The initial NQI Act, which expired in 2023, was signed into law by President Donald Trump in 2018 and resulted in meaningful progress.

Lastly, Congress should increase funding to both DOD and the Department of Energy by passing the newly introduced bipartisan DOE Quantum Leadership Act as well as the Defense Quantum Acceleration Act. The latter was introduced by Rep. Elise Stefanik and Sen. Marsha Blackburn in April, and the legislation is intended to “supercharge the Department of Defense’s approach to quantum technology and advance U.S. national security.”

Without a recommitment to federal investment in quantum technologies, the U.S. risks another DeepSeek moment with both quantum and AI.

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A ribbon cutting for the Extreme Computing Facility located in Rome, New York, was held Aug. 8, according to a release issued Monday by the Air Force Research Lab.

AFRL for years has been been engaged in quantum work. But Michael Hayduk, deputy director of its information directorate, said the opening of this state-of-the-art installation marks “a new era” for accelerating the development, integration and deployment of advanced computing tech for the U.S. military.

“The state-of-the-art laboratories for trusted computing, machine learning, neuromorphic and nanocomputing and quantum networking will advance our competitive edge in extreme computing,” he said, according to the release.

Quantum information science — which encompasses the investigation and application of complex phenomena happening at atomic and subatomic levels to process and transmit information — is one of Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Heidi Shyu’s 14 “critical technology areas.”

Quantum computing — which uses “qubits” instead of traditional processing methods — is one of the key military applications of QIS. Others include quantum networks, atomic clocks and quantum sensors, according to the Pentagon.

“Quantum computing can provide unprecedented computational speeds and help solve the Department’s hardest analytical problems. Quantum sensors promise the ability to provide unprecedented accuracy in position, navigation, and timing. From more accurate information to faster decision making, to significantly stronger encryption capabilities, quantum science has the promise to deliver cutting-edge technology,” per the DOD chief technology officer’s website.

AFRL’s new computing facility in New York features two laboratories for basic research in quantum computing, networking and security, and two neuromorphic computing labs for basic research in machine learning models “approximating human neurocognition,” according to Monday’s release.

Collaborators from industry and other government agencies will be able to leverage the Extreme Computing Facility’s science-and-technology capabilities, according to Col. Fred Garcia, head of AFRL’s information directorate.

The acceleration of the U.S. military’s push in this realm comes as China — which the Pentagon sees as its top strategic competitor — is developing its own quantum computing capabilities.

U.S. concern about Beijing’s pursuit of these types of tools was reflected in an executive order that President Biden issued last week authorizing the Treasury Department to regulate certain U.S. outbound investments into Chinese entities involved in activities related to quantum, AI and microelectronics.

Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has been banging the drum about the need for the United States to have a lead in these types of technologies. The biggest changes in warfare in the coming decades could emerge from the rapid onset of AI and quantum computing, he said in June during remarks at the National Press Club.

“I would suggest that the combination of those two technologies alone would spell a tremendous change in the character of war,” Milley said. “Our task, the United States’ task is for our military … to maintain our current decisive advantage, our lethality, our readiness, our competence, by optimizing these technologies for the conduct of war. And we do this not to conduct war, but to deter great power war.”

To facilitate the development of a utility-scale quantum computer, AFRL last year inked a $22.5 million contract with PsiQuantum to co-design and manufacture quantum photonic chips.

The Office of the Secretary of Defense also requested $75 million in fiscal 2024 for a new initiative aimed at accelerating the operationalization of quantum devices.

“Quantum technology is approaching a tipping point that will determine how quickly it can make an impact. If the [U.S.] can stay on pace, many important outcomes for the [DOD] can be realized,” Pentagon officials wrote in budget justification documents. Improvements could include more robust position, navigation and timing (PNT) for precision strike; rapid advances in materials and chemistry for advanced energetics, propulsion and platform coatings; optimization techniques for stealth properties, logistics and machine learning; intelligence collection; and enhanced electromagnetic spectrum capabilities for electronic warfare, they noted.

Lawmakers have also been moving to ramp up investment in the Defense Department’s quantum initiatives.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., attended the ribbon cutting for the Extreme Computing Facility and touted additional funding included in the Senate Appropriations Committee’s defense spending bill for the Rome facility in his home state, which would provide $10 million for a distributed quantum networking testbed and quantum cloud computing environment and $4 million to help develop a next-generation ion trap computer, among other initiatives.

“The Rome Lab and powerhouse workforce of the Mohawk Valley are going to be the ones to take us to the next frontier and ensure America leads the globe in the quantum computing super race,” he said, according to a release from Schumer’s office.

“This funding means that the next generation of the most advanced computers and technological research for our most sensitive military applications will happen right here at the Rome Lab. Now more than ever, we need to ensure that our nation stays ahead of our international competitors in virtual battle fields, and ensure the technology of tomorrow is developed right here in the Mohawk Valley,” he added.

Meanwhile, members of the House Armed Services Committee want to create a new pilot program within the Pentagon that prioritizes near-term quantum computing solutions that are capable of being developed and deployed in two years or less. The House version of the fiscal 2024 National Defense Authorization Act would direct the Pentagon to partner with a federally funded R&D center and the quantum industry on the effort. The House and Senate have yet to pass a reconciled version of the NDAA codifying the pilot.

Members of the U.S. national security community are also concerned about developing defensive capabilities to protect networks against quantum computing that could defeat today’s encryption tools.

Last year, the Air Force selected SandboxAQ, a spinoff of Google’s parent company Alphabet, to analyze its existing encryption capabilities and explore how the department’s networks can be better protected against future quantum attacks.

“Once scaled quantum computers are stable, they will be able to crack nearly all existing security codes and protocols in hours, if not minutes,” retired U.S. Chief of Naval Operations John Richardson warned recently in an op-ed for DefenseScoop.

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Section 218 of the HASC Subcommittee on Cyber, Information Technologies and Innovation mark of the fiscal 2024 National Defense Authorization Act, released Monday, would direct the Pentagon to partner with a federally funded research and development center (FFRDC) and the quantum industry on the effort.

“Under the pilot program, the Secretary of Defense … shall— (1) convene a group of experts and organizations to identify challenges faced by the Department of Defense, including the Armed forces, that have the potential to be addressed by quantum and quantum-hybrid applications;(2) develop and deploy demonstrations, proofs of concept, pilot programs, and other measures to address the challenges identified … using quantum and quantum-hybrid applications; (3) ensure that any quantum or quantum-hybrid application based solutions identified under the program are capable of development and deployment in 24 months or less; (4) assess and utility of commercial quantum and quantum-hybrid applications for meeting the near-term needs of warfighters; and (5) seek to build and strengthen relationships between the Department of Defense and nontraditional defense contractors … in the technology industry that may have unused or underused solutions to specific operational challenges of the Department relating to quantum and quantum-hybrid applications,” the mark states.

Broadly, quantum information science encompasses the investigation and application of complex phenomena happening at atomic and subatomic levels to process and transmit information. It is one of Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Heidi Shyu’s 14 “critical technology areas.”

Military applications include quantum computing and quantum networks, atomic clocks and quantum sensors, according to the Pentagon.

“Quantum computing can provide unprecedented computational speeds and help solve the Department’s hardest analytical problems. Quantum sensors promise the ability to provide unprecedented accuracy in position, navigation, and timing. From more accurate information to faster decision making, to significantly stronger encryption capabilities, quantum science has the promise to deliver cutting-edge technology,” per the DOD chief technology officer’s website.

The subcommittee mark defines ‘‘quantum and quantum-hybrid applications’’ as “algorithms and applications which use quantum mechanics through quantum processing units, including— (A) quantum-classical hybrid applications which are applications that use both quantum computing and classical computing hardware systems; (B) annealing and gate systems; and (C) all qubit modalities (including super conducting, trap ion, and photonics).”

The three-year pilot would have to kick off no later than March 1, 2024. The Pentagon would be required to brief lawmakers by that date, to include identifying the FFRDC and any private-sector entities the department has partnered with for purposes of carrying out the program and describing plans for developing and operating it.

The legislative proposal would also require annual reports with an update on the status of the pilot, including a description of the problem sets and capabilities that were evaluated by DOD organizations; an explanation of whether and to what extent the program resulted in the identification of potential solutions based on quantum and quantum-hybrid applications; any potential barriers to the use of quantum and quantum-hybrid applications to solve near-term problems for the U.S. military; and recommendations regarding how the Pentagon can better leverage and deploy quantum and quantum-hybrid applications to address near-term military applications and operational needs.

Meanwhile, the Office of the Secretary of Defense is requesting $75 million in fiscal 2024 for a new initiative called Quantum Transition Acceleration that’s intended to speed up the operationalization of quantum devices for military purposes and mature U.S. supply chains underpinning the development of emerging quantum technologies. Additionally, the department projects that it will ask lawmakers for $100 million per year in the fiscal 2025-2028 time frame to continue to advance these efforts.

The subcommittee is scheduled to mark up the policy bill on Tuesday.

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While it may be some time before quantum computers are able to break today’s encryption protocols, this is not a future problem–it’s already here. Nation-states and other adversaries are conducting what are known as “Store Now, Decrypt Later” attacks — stealing encrypted data and housing it on their own servers to decrypt and exploit later. These attacks target U.S. and allied government agencies as well as companies in vital industries such as defense contracting, technology, financial services, telecommunications, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, energy, and more.

Any organization that relies on data security to fulfill its mission should feel a sense of urgency. At risk are critical infrastructure and the personal data of everyday consumers, including passwords, personal health, and financial information. Specifically for the Department of Defense, data at risk could include classified intelligence, the details of treaty negotiations, military strategy and decision-making processes, weapon designs, training protocol, personnel information, or the names and locations of high-value targets and operatives.

It will be too late if the U.S. waits for more capable quantum computers before taking significant steps to address this threat to secure cryptography. Once scaled quantum computers are stable, they will be able to crack nearly all existing security codes and protocols in hours, if not minutes. Most national security data without quantum-resistant cryptographic protocols that are stored by bad actors today will have enduring value even if encrypted a decade or more from now. To protect against this, The National Security Agency set a 2035 deadline for the adoption of post-quantum cryptography (PQC) in national security IT systems, an ambitious goal that the Defense Information Systems Agency will be responsible to execute.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology has released a set of validated PQC algorithms that form the foundation of quantum-safe encryption. These algorithms are the result of a rigorous, six-year effort by a group of stakeholders from 25 countries and offer DISA the clarity necessary to migrate critical systems and data to PQC.

PQC adoption hurdles

The process of implementing PQC protocols across the DoD is complex and will take time, but the effort is attainable thanks to unprecedented public-private cooperation. In 2022, NIST’s National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE) introduced its Migration to Post-Quantum Cryptography project, which includes an international consortium of 17 companies to help organizations transition to PQC. While that is reason for optimism, many hurdles remain that prevent DOD’s timely adoption of PQC.

First, DOD leaders are contending with an increasingly complex security environment that includes the rise of adversaries with capabilities and capacity we’ve not seen for generations–and some capabilities we’ve never seen. The multipolar world is here and an important aspect of maintaining America’s place in global affairs will be setting the pace with emerging and revolutionary technologies–such as evolving data encryption standards–that have far-reaching implications for national security, including warfighting.

Another challenge is that many emerging disciplines such as quantum technology remain poorly understood and daunting to tackle. The security implications also remain nebulous. Those in DOD who are fully aware of the threat quantum computers present are also overwhelmed when considering where their PQC migration should begin.

A way forward

An executable and productive way ahead is to reframe PQC migration efforts as a set of problems that can be solved in stages. Many experts recommend the first stage in any PQC migration should be a cryptographic inventory and vulnerability assessment, which would require more modest amounts of initial funding to begin. This discovery process takes several months or more but is essential before migration, policy management, and enforcement can begin. Many industry players, such as those identified by NCCoE, stand ready to partner with DISA to tally cryptographic inventories, develop migration road maps, and project annual costs. These are steps that can be taken right away.

Lastly, DOD IT leaders must remember that “cryptographic agility” — the ability of a cybersecurity system to rapidly adapt new cryptographic algorithms — will be an important element of PQC migration since the process of securing data from quantum threats will be continuous and dynamic. Applying the modular, stepped approach outlined above would help achieve and maintain the agility needed to address future cyber threats. An agile IT architecture must maintain an inventory of cryptographic components and update them as necessary to stay current with the latest standards and best practices.

Strong DOD leadership has made great strides toward Zero Trust IT architectures that continuously validate each stage of digital interactions. This is a good start, and part of achieving cryptographic agility is that Zero Trust will need to integrate and complement PQC.

But as the QCCSP Act highlights, there is still an urgent need for DOD and all organizations that depend on data security to begin the PQC migration process to protect critical data and infrastructure — now. The NSA anticipates new cryptography will take 20 years or more to be fully deployed across national security systems. We must do better than that. We’re not alone here — China already claims to have a practical quantum computer and an algorithm that can break public-key encryption.

The race is on, and there’s not a moment to lose.

Adm. (Ret.) John Richardson was the former Chief of Naval Operations for the U.S. Navy. He is an advisory board member for quantum and AI company Sandbox AQ.

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Tucked into the Defense Department’s latest batch of budget justification documents, this new-start project is referred to as Quantum Transition Acceleration.

“The [DOD’s] research and development of quantum technologies is critical to maintaining the nation’s technological superiority,” officials wrote in the Defense-wide justification book for fiscal 2024 budget estimates.

Broadly, quantum information science (QIS) encompasses the investigation and application of complex phenomena happening at atomic and subatomic levels to process and transmit information. 

Experts largely predict that this field will enable disruptive, transformational science, engineering and communication applications in the not-so-distant future.

“Quantum technology is approaching a tipping point that will determine how quickly it can make an impact. If the [U.S.] can stay on pace, many important outcomes for the [DOD] can be realized including robust position, navigation and timing for DOD freedom of operations with precision strike even with contests in spectrum, space, or cyber operations,” Pentagon officials wrote in the budget justification documents. 

They further noted that quantum computation could lead to “rapid advances in materials and chemistry for advanced energetics, propulsion, and platform coatings” — as well as enable nascent optimization techniques for stealth properties, logistics and machine learning.

Quantum tech might also drastically enhance electromagnetic spectrum capabilities, which they said holds promise to supply DOD with “significant advantages” associated with electronic warfare, intelligence collection and more.

For a number of reasons at this point, however, the department recognizes “risk” for the slowdown of technological maturation affiliated with quantum applications for defense.

“Two challenges and barriers to implementation are: component and supply chain maturity of bleeding-edge capability in photonics, including lasers, active light manipulation, light delivery, and packaging; and misalignment of government with industry regarding quantum technology development priorities, maturity time-line realism, and technology protection strategy,” officials wrote in the budget justification documents.

The Pentagon seeks to alleviate those major issues via the new Quantum Transition Acceleration project.

Of the $75 million requested for fiscal 2024 to fund that work, $45 million would be used for “maturing, demonstrating, and transitioning quantum inertial sensors, gravity sensors, atomic clocks, and quantum electro-magnetic sensors,” officials wrote, noting that those specific technologies would be “sourced from existing projects that have already demonstrated performance advantages.” 

The other $30 million would focus on “identifying, developing and maturing critical components supporting technology for atomic clocks, quantum sensors, and quantum computers” — and ultimately help “accelerate the transition of laboratory-scale systems to manufacturable commercial products,” per the budget justification documents.

On top of the $75 million requested for the Quantum Transition Acceleration initiative in fiscal 2024, the department also projects that it will request $100 million per year in the fiscal 2025-2028 time frame to continue to push it forward.

“This investment will be key to help the U.S. stay competitive with other nations, not only in quantum computing, but also in many other quantum-enabled technologies — such as entanglement-based sensing capabilities, secure communications and computing, secure access to the quantum cloud, and many more applications — which have key national security implications,” University of Arizona professor Saikat Guha told DefenseScoop in an email on Wednesday.

A leading expert in this field, Guha also serves as the director of the National Science Foundation’s Engineering Research Center for Quantum Networks, or CQN. This week, he’s hosting the Arizona Quantum Initiative Inaugural Workshop to bring together those interested in the technology, and spotlight some of the university’s latest research findings. 

Guha, as well as other University of Arizona-affiliated scientists and students, are working directly with multiple Pentagon components to generate and deploy quantum-enabled solutions. 

“Although the technologies are in various stages of development, we envision some to have an impact in DOD’s capabilities and provide the U.S. a leading edge over its adversaries,” he told DefenseScoop. 

With the Office of Naval Research, for example, Guha and his team are “using squeezed light — a form of light whose properties can only be described by the quantum theory of optics — to enhance the sensitivity of multiple photonic sensor modalities,” he said. That work could eventually lead to fiber-optic gyroscopes for position and navigation in GPS-denied environments and quantum-enhanced radio-frequency photonic antennas to detect hidden signals that are inaccessible otherwise, among other nascent capabilities.

There are other ongoing, quantum-focused efforts the university is leading with the Army, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and others.

While he was pleased to see the new-start quantum program’s inclusion in the 2024 defense budget estimate, Guha said he “would love to see more concerted investments and programs tailored to transitioning technologies to the end users — both in the government as well as the industry.”

“In my experience, there is a lot of very high impact work that comes out of [DARPA’s Defense Sciences Office] programs, which do not make their way to the transition partners in a natural way. Many quantum-enabled technologies are ready for such transition,” Guha told DefenseScoop.

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Released by congressional appropriators Tuesday, the roughly $1.7 trillion 2023 omnibus spending bill would provide the Defense Department with more than $797 billion in total base discretionary funding, much of which is aimed at boosting its tech portfolio. 

The legislation is expected to pass and be signed into law by President Biden in the coming days.

“This package provides a 10% increase to defense funding, in line with the overwhelmingly bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act, and supports America’s most vital national security priorities, including strategic competition with China and Russia; disruptive technologies like hypersonic weapons, artificial intelligence, 5G, and quantum computing,” Republican senators wrote in their 30-page topline summary of the appropriations bill. 

In a separate omnibus summary, House Democrats noted that the total spending inclusion for DOD in the agreed-upon bill broadly “invests in basic and applied scientific research, development, test and evaluation of new technologies and equipment, and supports the research community so forces will have the systems and equipment for tomorrow’s challenges.”

It’s no secret to Congress that military laboratories and defense technology facilities are largely in need of upgrades. The omnibus bill would allot more than $3 billion in investments to revamp DOD’s degrading infrastructure.

Eyeing such modernization, as well as innovation, this newly released legislation also approves what Senate Appropriations Committee members called the “largest R&D budget in the history of” DOD. That investment is valued at around $139.7 billion. 

Roughly $4.5 billion, they noted, would be provided in the omnibus package to advance the military’s “development and fielding of hypersonic weapons and related technologies.” Hypersonics fly faster than sound travels, and DOD is presently prioritizing efforts to enable both offensive and defensive systems of those next-level capabilities.

Lawmakers on the Senate Appropriations Committee’s Subcommittee on Defense wrote in their own briefer summary that the bill would also provide the Pentagon with $1.1 billion to modernize the United States’ “critical test and evaluation infrastructure for emerging technologies, such as: hypersonics, the electromagnetic spectrum, directed energy, space, targets, data management, and artificial intelligence.” 

Some of DOD’s associated programs that would see funding increases from this package include its all-domain autonomous modeling and simulation effort, counter-drone and drone swarm pursuits, AI hubs, and its directed energy airborne high-power testbed.   

A number of other provisions in the spending package would also supply the Pentagon with additional finances to enable improvements and innovation in its two newest warfighting domains: space and cyberspace.

For instance, the spending bill would provide $430.4 million “for various cyber and artificial intelligence initiatives to continue implementing recommendations from the National Security Commission on [AI]” — as well as an additional $2.2 billion for space procurement, operation and maintenance, and research and development initiatives. Another inclusion would provide the Pentagon with around $1.77 billion to procure seven National Security Space Launch services.

Notably, the omnibus package also allocates more than $70 million for a classified Military Intelligence Program led by the nascent Chief Digital and AI Office (CDAO). That boost nearly doubles the amount originally requested for that secret program in fiscal 2023.

The CDAO would also receive more than $278 million to carry out its many evolving responsibilities and ultimately help the vast department scale AI.

“This legislation will keep America safe by giving our troops a well-earned pay raise, ensuring our servicemen and women are well-trained and well-equipped with the most up-to-date technology, and shifting resources toward cutting-edge programs that’ll maintain our fighting edge over adversaries like China and Russia,” the Senate Defense Subcommittee’s Chair Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., said in a statement.

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“Quantum computers threaten the foundation of data architectures that rely on today’s public-key cryptography, considered impossible for classical computers to break,” Jen Sovada, president of SandboxAQ’s public sector division, told DefenseScoop in an email on Monday.

This new Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract award, announced on Nov. 18, marks SandboxAQ’s first deal with the U.S. military since it split-away from Alphabet — Google’s parent company — in March.

Sovada, a former Air Force intelligence officer, said the award validates “SandboxAQ’s efforts with regard to post-quantum cryptography and data protection at the highest level of security.”

Quantum information science is a potentially disruptive field that exploits phenomena at subatomic levels to process and transmit data in completely novel ways. Though they aren’t fully realized yet, quantum computers are anticipated to one day break the encryption protocols that governments and other organizations currently rely on to shield sensitive information.

“Data not secured with quantum-resistant protocols can be harvested, stored indefinitely, and then decrypted once an adversary has access to a fault-tolerant, error-corrected quantum computer,” Sovada said.

“These ‘store now, decrypt later’ (SNDL) attacks are happening already,” she added. “The fear is that once a quantum computer is available, data that was stored previously will be decrypted in a matter of minutes, allowing adversaries unprecedented access to national security information.”

Looking to get ahead of such threats, the Biden administration released new directives earlier this year to accelerate America’s transition to post-quantum cryptography and attempt to safeguard national infrastructure before the next-generation computers are in operation. Last week, the Office of Management and Budget set a May 4 deadline by which federal agencies must provide an inventory of their own cryptographic systems that might be vulnerable to quantum threats.

“The U.S. government is a large ecosystem with many competing requirements where policy change and compliance can be slow. Transitioning enterprises to new cryptographic standards will take years and requires planning and testing now. The longer we wait, the more sensitive data has the potential to be stolen, stored, and put at risk,” Sovada told DefenseScoop.

In this initial phase of SBIR work, the company will explore technological ways to strengthen the Air and Space Forces’ cryptographic security postures. It is expected to last 90 days, and follow-on phases are possible. 

“We aren’t authorized by the customer to share details on the contract value,” Sovada noted. 

In her view, the company is differentiated from its competitors by its “AQ” approach, which deliberately combines artificial intelligence and quantum capabilities.

“These two disciplines have been working independently for some time, but we believe it’s critical to look at them as one holistic approach to solve hard problems. When you combine two fields it is often a recipe for a revolution — that’s what’s happening with AI and quantum technology,” Sovada said.

Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, who also previously chaired the Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Board, leads SandboxAQ’s board of directors. CEO Jack Hidary is an author and former fellow at the National Institutes of Health, where he worked to advance functional brain imaging and artificial neural networks. 

“Approximately 65% of our team members hold [doctorate degrees] in areas such as physics, mathematics, cryptography, chemistry, engineering, AI, medicine, and photonics,” Sovada noted.

Prior to this partnership, the National Institute of Standards and Technology selected SandboxAQ as one of 17 high-tech businesses to support post-quantum cryptography preparations for its National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence. 

Other public sector collaboration projects could soon be in the company’s pipeline.

Sovada confirmed in the email to DefenseScoop that “SandboxAQ is in conversations with several DOD organizations who are interested in implementing AI + quantum technology in areas such as cybersecurity, sensing, and simulation and optimization.” 

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Quantum information science (QIS) is part of a complex and emerging computing paradigm where experts apply “bizarre” phenomena occurring at atomic and subatomic levels to process information in new ways. Governments are increasingly investing in associated research and development, with expectations that quantum processes will drive transformational science, engineering and communication applications in the not-so-distant future. The technology could have major implications for national security, experts say.

While classical computers operate using basic units called bits, which each hold one of two possible values — or the binary digits 0 or 1 — quantum computers use quantum bits, or qubits, which can essentially exist in multiple states at one time. 

Qubits can be made out of different types of quanta, like electrons or photons, and entities are pursuing varying approaches around those to develop the first-ever practical, fault-tolerant and large-scale quantum computer. In this photonic approach-based work, PsiQuantum and AFRL will produce special quantum photonic chips that can be “used to control and process qubits” based on particles of light, or single photons, according to the release.

“The deep silicon photonics expertise of PsiQuantum is critical in our mission to not only accelerate the advancement and deployment of [QIS], but in developing capabilities to meet the needs of the emerging national security landscape,” AFRL Deputy Director Michael Hayduk said in a statement. 

He added that this partnership supports both the lab’s and the Defense Department’s broader missions of “pursuing long-term, broad-based research programs that ultimately lead to world-changing applications across multiple industries.”

Officials from PsiQuantum and AFRL will manufacture the chips at GlobalFoundries’ semiconductor fab in Malta, New York. Last year, PsiQuantum and GlobalFoundries announced what they deemed to be the first single photon detector built in a silicon chip — a new capability to read out the value of a qubit’s state.

This partnership is largely supported by the $25 million in federal funding that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., previously unveiled as part of the spending package for fiscal 2022.

In the latest release, Schumer said this collaboration “will strengthen our national security, create good-paying jobs, and further fuel Upstate New York’s leadership in the tech economy to help the U.S. stay ahead of all rivals, including China, in technological innovation.”

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Semiconductors, or chips, help power weapon systems, computers, phones, appliances, automobiles, and many other modern technologies. Though they were first invented in America, the nation now produces only about 10% of the world’s supply of chips — and none of the most sophisticated variants. The CHIPS and Science Act marks the U.S. government’s ambitious plan to change that.

Negotiated over a long legislative slog, provisions in this more than 1,000-page legislation introduce new requirements for multiple federal agencies to help drastically boost the production of American-made semiconductors and ultimately accelerate innovation in nanotechnology, quantum computing, artificial intelligence and other emerging capabilities related to national security. 

“Earlier this year, I went down to [a Lockheed Martin factory] in Alabama where they are making the Javelin missiles that we’re supplying to Ukraine to defend itself against Putin’s unprovoked war. It’s crystal clear we need these semiconductors not only for those Javelins, but for weapons systems of the future that are going to be even more reliant on advanced chips. Unfortunately, we produce 0% of these advanced chips, and China’s trying to move way ahead of us manufacturing these,” Biden said on the South Lawn of the White House during a bill signing ceremony.

“It’s no wonder the Chinese Communist Party actively lobbied U.S. business against this bill. The United States must lead the world in production of these advanced chips. This law will do exactly that,” he added.

The legislation provides roughly $52.7 billion to explicitly drive semiconductor research, development, manufacturing, and workforce development in the U.S. Of that total, $39 billion is included for manufacturing incentives and $13.2 billion is included for R&D and workforce development, according to the White House.

A 25% investment tax credit for capital expenses connected to the manufacturing of semiconductors and related equipment is also a requirement in the new law.

“To be clear, this law is not handing out blank checks to companies. Today, I’m ordering my administration to be laser-focused on the guardrails to protect taxpayers dollars,” Biden said.

Beyond its many financial incentives and requirements for semiconductors, the bill also aims to drive other science and technology pursuits — including several provisions that will directly impact the Defense Department.

For instance, the final version of the bill directs the secretary of Defense to conduct and support R&D and curriculum development — and assess potential national and economic security risks — in engineering biology and associated data and information sciences. The Pentagon is also directed by the law to support the Commerce Department and other agencies in accelerating innovation to advance the nation’s unmanned maritime systems.

Pentagon leaders have voiced strong support for the bill and urged lawmakers to pass it.

“The investments made through the CHIPS Act are critical to our national security, and will directly support maintaining America’s technological and military edge,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin recently said.

Further, the newly signed law also establishes a technology, innovation, and partnerships directorate at the National Science Foundation to focus on emerging and advanced capabilities. There’s also a number of new mandates for other agencies including NASA, the Energy and Commerce Departments and the National Institute of Standards and Technology, which is directed to establish a program for AI-enabled defense research.

Throughout his tenure as president, Biden has emphasized his aims to bolster America’s investments in science and research from less than 1% of GDP to near 2%, where it used to be in past decades.

“We used to rank No. 1 in the world in research and development. Now we rank No. 9. China was No. 8 decades ago. Now they are No. 2, and other countries are closing in fast. This law gets us moving up once again. It authorizes funding to boost our research and development funding closer to 1% of the GDP — the fastest single year percentage increase in 70 years — and it’s going to make a difference,” Biden said.

“This increase in research and development funding will ensure the U.S leads the world in industries of the future, from quantum computing and artificial intelligence to advanced biotechnology — the kinds of investments that will deliver vaccines for cancer, the cure for HIV, and invent the next big thing that hasn’t even been imagined yet,” he added.

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Quantum information science (QIS) involves the investigation and application of bizarre phenomena that occur at atomic and subatomic levels to process and move information. Experts predict it will enable transformational science, engineering and communication applications in the future — like an unhackable internet, or GPS in remote environments.

The Defense Department has been pursuing QIS-aligned initiatives since at least the early 1990s, John Burke, principal director for quantum science in the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, noted Thursday during the ExecutiveBiz Quantum Technologies Forum.

A lot of progress has been made, but in his view, there are many unknowns to tackle before a scalable quantum system can be fully realized.

While there is a great deal of hype surrounding the technology, many components that will make up the ultramodern systems are still in their infancy. Enabling quantum success will also rely a lot on public-private partnerships, as different hubs develop specialized platforms that may need to work together as the tech evolves. Burke pointed to uncertainties around funding both in the near term and down the line. 

“Today, it’s just my observation that a lot of the funding for quantum technology has been around a particular application and maybe a particular component for that application. There’s not much larger ecosystem related-funding — and I think that’s something that needs to change,” he said, adding, “even if quantum computing takes off as we all hope, it’ll still be a very low-volume demand compared to, say, consumer electronics. So, there’s always going to be a question mark.”

“I have more questions than I have answers,” he also noted.

One realm of QIS involves next-generation quantum computing. While classical computers are made up of basic units called bits that each represent a one or a zero, quantum computers would be based on quantum bits — or qubits —  which can exist in multiple states at any one given time.

Burke noted that, right now, the sharpest focus from the government and industry is on two types of quantum technologies.

“There’s sort of a set of qubits that require cryogenic dilution refrigerators, mostly — and microwave links, oftentimes, but not exclusively. There’s another set of devices and ideas that use photons as sort of carrier qubits and often require a vacuum, or a potentially ultra-high vacuum to operate,” he explained.

The Pentagon currently has a “little bias towards” photonic systems, Burke said, due partly to how they align better with quantum sensor-related efforts the department has been investing in over the years.

“You could debate about how many qubits we need for any particular application, but sources kind of point to 1 million to 10 million, or maybe even more qubits,” Burke said. He added that right now, the DOD is still “figuring things out like what is the layout of these, and how would you use a small number of qubits effectively?” 

Questions also remain around associated topics like thermal management to keep such systems cool, interconnecting complex networks, intellectual property, fabricating and scaling the many intricate system components — and more.

“In order to kind of realize all of these dreams, and especially on the photonics side of things, we need a lot of breakthroughs. We need breakthroughs in photonics and cryogenics, breakthroughs in dilution refrigerators and vacuum equipment, and all those things,” Burke said.

He and his colleagues are also “trying to figure out where utility might come from” once quantum machines are fully operational. Presently a lot is up in the air in terms of where QIS can offer the most advantages.

“There are heuristics out there that are, by their very nature, not predictable. We’ll have to build a computer to see how well that’ll turn out, I think. So, it could be that there’ll be a lot of applications that we just don’t have the capability to predict right now,” he noted.

“The good news is there are going to be breakthroughs, because a lot of really bright people are working on this,” he added. 

Burke said that, at DOD, his door is always open for recommendations on how to proceed with confronting these many unknowns. 

“If you have an idea — even if it’s not very good — that’s a starting point. So, all ideas are welcome,” he said.

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