Three US companies are examining how quantum computing could transform future American defense capabilities.
California-based D-Wave Quantum has partnered with Anduril Industries and Davidson Technologies to assess the potential of quantum applications in enhancing air and missile defense operations.
As part of an early proof-of-concept, the teams combined Anduril’s defense simulation environment, Davidson’s military mission-planning expertise, and D-Wave’s Advantage2 quantum computer to evaluate operational performance.
Using D-Wave’s Stride hybrid solver, the study assessed solution quality, scalability, and the speed at which a quantum-enabled system could theoretically counter missile threats.
According to the companies, the quantum-based approach produced solutions up to ten times faster than current defense systems and improved overall threat mitigation by 12 percent.
In one simulated scenario involving a coordinated salvo of 500 missiles, the quantum solution intercepted 60 more missiles than conventional defense methods.
