How Quantum Computing Can Benefit The Defence Industry
Quantum technologies are finding their way into a multitude of sectors, from travel and transportation to finance healthcare.
Lately, quantum computing has made traction in the defence industry, with nations including Australia taking advantage and drawing it into future strategies. And in the UK, the Ministry of Defence acquired the government’s first quantum computer to further explore the applications of its technology.
A report by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) forecasted that Australia's quantum technology sector would produce over AU$4 billion (£2.3 billion) in annual revenue and support 16,000 jobs by 2040.
Will quantum technology revolutionise the industry?
The Quantum Four
In research, there are four main areas of quantum - computing, imaging, communication and sensing. Of the four, quantum sensing has shown to have the most potential for the defence industry.
Quantum sensing technologies improve the accuracy of how we measure, navigate and interact with the environment around us, by sensing changes in motion, and electric and magnetic fields. This is a great asset for the defence industry, as it would vastly improve the detection of submarines and stealth aircraft.
Australia’s Department of Defence believes quantum sensing technology could be an alternative solution to GPS, which is not always reliable in complex terrain such as underwater or in mountainous settings.
"This will be achieved through the development, miniaturisation, and maturation of quantum clocks, accelerometers, magnetometers, and gravimeters. These will then be fused with classical technologies to provide the best of both worlds for optimal timing and navigation solutions," the department revealed.
Unhackable Communications
Another useful application of quantum technology for the military is in communication. Through quantum cryptography, namely Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), communications - and sensitive data - can be encrypted and secured. This is a particularly important technology for the defence industry to take onboard, given the gravity of the data stored in its systems.
Last month, NATO launched an investigation into a data breach, where classified military documents were sold online by hackers. It’s said that the information was obtained through a compromised external hard drive, and reports have alleged that 80GB of the stolen data was sold for 15 bitcoins - equating to about £273,000.
And across the pond in the UK, the British Army was forced to close its recruitment portal after the files of more than 100 recruits were found on the dark web. QKD systems - at least right now - are virtually unhackable, and implementing such a technology would mean the above issues simply wouldn’t happen.
Quantum Grade Security
The most fundamental use of quantum technologies for the defence industry and beyond, however, is in cybersecurity. Leading the way in this space are Arqit, who meld together the power of both quantum and cloud to create a whole new level of cybersecurity. Its QuantumCloud solution provides the most efficient security with its own approach to quantum encryption methods.
Arqit has already been collaborating with military companies - in August 2021, it signed an agreement with the international defence company Babcock International Group. The collaboration has enabled Arqit to test its innovative QuantumCloud solution across the military and defence sectors under various situations.
And in July 2022, Arqit successfully demonstrated quantum safe military drones along with the defence supplier Blue Bear. So you can be sure that if the technology’s good enough for military drones, it’s good enough for your devices.
From alternatives to GPS to implementing encrypted communications, this is only the beginning for quantum technologies in the military sector. So much of what we know is still in its infancy stage - the more it develops, the more it will revolutionise the industry. We are reaching a point where classical computers are simply not up to scratch when it comes to these complex operations. It’s now time for quantum to take over.