Source Says New Legislation to Accelerate DoD’s Quantum Efforts ‘to The Next Level’

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  • An Axios source said legislation will be unveiled that will accelerate quantum technology adoption in the US Department of Defense.
  • According to the source, Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-New York) is preparing to unveil the Defense Quantum Acceleration Act.
  • The proposed legislation is said to contain a comprehensive strategy for integrating quantum information science technology across DoD operations.

Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-New York) is preparing to unveil the Defense Quantum Acceleration Act, Axios is reporting. According to the media site, an industry source said that, under the proposed legislation, the Department of Defense would develop and execute a comprehensive strategy for integrating quantum information science technology across its operations.

This could be related to a recent Breaking Defense op-ed that reported Rep. Elise Stefanik was creating legislation to appoint a Principal Quantum Adviser for the Department of Defense. Ideally, the position would consolidate quantum research efforts across the military, ensuring more cohesive progress and strategic alignment with national security objectives.

Axios also reported that the language of the bill is closely associated with the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which pushes DoD to go beyond the study of quantum, but, instead shifts focuses on near-term application.

Introducing TQI 2.0Introducing TQI 2.0

The source told Axios that the bill would include actions to “take this focus to the next level.”

The Department of Defense Appropriations Act, also released this week showed at least 18 references to quantum.

Stefanik has been a champion of quantum technologies and especially a champion of the tech in her home state of New York. In 2022, she announced $25 million to manufacture and test photonic quantum computing technology at the Air Force Research Laboratory in Rome.

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MENTIONED IN THE ARTICLE

Air Force Research Laboratory Quantum Group
GovernmentUnited States · 5001-10000 FTEs

The Air Force Research Laboratory is partnering with industry, academia, and the Department of Defense to apply quantum information science to Air Force concerns. AFRL has formally joined the IBM Q Network, the first ever partnership of its kind in the Department of Defense. This alliance will provide AFRL and its collaborators with access to commercial quantum systems to explore practical applications relevant to the Air Force. Early applications include optimization problems, speed-up of machine learning algorithms and quantum chemistry simulation. The Extreme Computing facility by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), is now open in New York. It is involved in quantum computing research, ranging from development, integration and deployment of advanced computing technologies for the Department of the Air Force. The AFRL Information Directorate received funding for five major projects. They include: 1. $10 million for Distributed Quantum Networking Testbed and Quantum Cloud Computing Environment, 2. $4 million for Photonic Quantum Computing, which will develop a next-generation ion trap computer. 3. $10 million for Enhancements and Operational Readiness improvements for Trusted DoD/Federal Unmanned Aircraft Systems. This system will manage UAS traffic to support the emerging Federal Aviation Administration/National Aeronautics and Space Administration Advanced Air Mobility vision and provide a real-time interface to Air Traffic Control. 4. $10 million for a Joint All-Domain Command and Control testbed which creates an operational-like environment that allows the warfighter to test cutting-edge technology and tools and provide feedback for researchers. 5. $10 million for a Multi-Domain Radio Frequency Spectrum Test environment. Total government funding involved in the AFRL currently amounts to ~$44 million USD.

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