US Pentagon focuses on Quantum Technologies for Defence Industry

The US Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has initiated a programme to engineer state-of-the-art quantum sensors. The primary objective of this initiative is to transform the realm of Defence by providing alternatives to Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and enhancing detection and navigation capabilities. The project is driven by the vision of overcoming technological impediments and seamlessly integrating these innovations into military platforms. The programme, entitled ‘Robust Quantum Sensors’ (ROQS), has been developed to address the technological challenges that have thus far impeded the practical implementation of quantum sensors in operational contexts, including electrical and magnetic interference, field gradients, and vibration. The primary objective is to engineer and demonstrate sensors capable of withstanding the anticipated interference, to integrate them into government platforms. By 2025, the Pentagon is expected to allocate approximately $100 million to the development of advanced technologies, with a particular emphasis on the development of atomic clocks and magnetometers. The utilisation of such instrumentation is of pivotal importance for the advancement of strategic applications, including magnetic navigation and other critical operations.