Insider Brief
- D-Wave, Davidson Technologies, and Anduril are collaborating to develop quantum-classical hybrid applications for complex U.S. air and missile defense planning.
- In a proof-of-concept using real defense simulations, D-Wave’s Stride hybrid solver on the Advantage2 system outperformed classical-only approaches as scenario complexity increased.
- The hybrid approach delivered at least 10× faster time-to-solution, improved threat mitigation by 9–12%, and enabled interception of 45–60 additional missiles in large-scale simulations.
PRESS RELEASE — D-Wave Quantum Inc. (NYSE: QBTS) (“D-Wave” or the “Company”), the only dual-platform quantum computing company, providing annealing and gate-model systems, software, and services; Davidson Technologies, Inc. (“Davidson”), a mission-driven technology company supporting U.S. Department of Defense and aerospace customers; and Anduril Industries Inc. (“Anduril”), a defense technology company focused on advanced autonomous systems, today announced a collaboration to develop quantum-classical hybrid applications for complex U.S. air and missile defense planning challenges.
In an initial proof-of-concept that used Anduril’s defense simulations, Davidson’s mission-domain modeling and secure-computing expertise, and D-Wave’s quantum computing technology, the companies evaluated complex missile-defense planning scenarios. The effort compared performance of a classical-only approach against D-Wave’s Stride™ hybrid solver running on the Advantage2TM system, benchmarking solution quality, scalability, and time-to-solution.
Results demonstrated that while classical solvers performed effectively on smaller, less complex scenarios, the time to reach a solution increased significantly as problem size grew. By comparison, as problem complexity scaled, D-Wave’s Stride hybrid solver extended its performance lead over classical-only approaches, delivering at least 10x faster time-to-solution, a 9% to 12% improvement in threat mitigation, and the ability to intercept an additional 45–60 missiles in a 500-missile attack simulation.
“Our collaboration with Anduril and Davidson marks an important milestone in applying quantum computing to U.S. national defense strategies,” said Dr. Alan Baratz, CEO of D-Wave. “Our initial work together shows that annealing quantum computing can be put to use today for mission-critical applications, enabling faster, more informed decision-making for complex problems.”
“Quantum computing helps identify efficiencies to expedite execution in space, missile defense and joint force operations,” said Dale Moore, president and CEO of Davidson. “It rapidly evaluates millions of possible outcomes, determining the best course of action. We’re thrilled to collaboratively leverage this maturing technology and apply it to today’s national security challenges.”
“Anduril is constantly evaluating how we can apply emerging techniques to various defense challenges,” said Matthew Steckman, president and chief business officer at Anduril. “Our partnership with Davidson and D-Wave looks toward augmenting advanced technologies through quantum by first pressure-testing the technology against real defense problems. Our work to deliver this capability and others like it to the warfighter is just beginning.”
D-Wave, Davidson, and Anduril plan to expand the collaboration by exploring other large-scale defense optimization challenges, including contested logistics, scalable and distributed manufacturing, cyber defense, and courses of action generation.
