Senators Hassan, Blackburn Urge Department of Defense to Boost Quantum Technology Efforts to Maintain U.S. Edge Over Adversaries

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) are pushing the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) to increase its efforts to protect U.S. national security by increasing American leadership in quantum sensing technology, including advanced navigation, radar, and sonar technology. Quantum sensing technology can enable precise navigation that is resistant to signal jamming efforts by adversaries, providing an important alternative to GPS, especially as U.S. adversaries have developed their own GPS alternatives.

“The United States must continue to maintain its technological and military edge over foreign adversaries – especially China,” wrote the Senators to the Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. “To ensure that the United States maintains its technological advantage, DOD must have a strategic plan to integrate quantum sensing into our national security efforts.”

Senator Hassan has worked to ensure that the U.S. takes advantage of emerging quantum technology and is also ready to respond to the risks that it can pose. Senator Hassan successfully passed into law her Quantum Computing Cybersecurity Preparedness Act, which strengthens national security by preparing the federal government’s defenses against quantum-computing-enabled data breaches. Additionally, at the end of last year, Senator Hassan passed into law her measure to boost the Department of Defense’s partnerships on quantum technology research to prepare for these emerging threats.  

The Senators are asking the Department of Defense to answer the following questions:

1. What is the current breakdown of quantum sensing efforts within DOD, including the offices responsible for managing and moving forward overall DOD quantum efforts?
2. What is the current internal coordination process for DOD efforts related to quantum sensing?
3. How are DOD quantum sensing efforts being coordinated with other government agencies, including the Department of Energy and the National Labs, the Department of Commerce, the National Science Foundation, and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency?
4. What emerging threats and areas of concern has DOD identified that quantum sensing may play a role in addressing? How has DOD already worked to use quantum sensing to address these threats?
5. Please describe DOD’s strategic plan, both near and long-term, to advance quantum sensing in national defense and to create redundancy for existing critical systems by using quantum sensing technology. How will DOD execute these strategic plans?
6. What is the current state of DOD efforts to use quantum sensing technology to advance alternative precision navigation and timing; undersea or underground detection; and advanced intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance imaging? How will DOD advance these specific efforts moving forward?
7. What does DOD need from Congress to support, sustain, and accelerate quantum sensing technology for national defense?

Click here to see the full letter or see text below:

Dear Secretary Austin:

We write today to request information regarding the Department of Defense’s (DOD) efforts to strengthen our national security by growing American leadership in strategically critical quantum sensing technology, including advanced navigation, radar, and sonar technology.

As you know, quantum information science as a whole has the potential to significantly advance current computing, communication, and sensing technology.  Quantum sensing technology in particular can enable precise navigation that is resistant to signal jamming efforts by adversaries, providing a valuable alternative to GPS.

The United States must continue to maintain its technological and military edge over foreign adversaries – especially China. However, according to a recent report, China is pursuing advances in quantum information science, some of which outstrip the efforts of the United States in scale and scope.  The report further states that China roughly matches the United States in the development of quantum sensing technology.

To ensure that the United States maintains its technological advantage, DOD must have a strategic plan to integrate quantum sensing into our national security efforts. Accordingly, we request that you please provide us with written responses to the following questions no later than November 15, 2024.

1. What is the current breakdown of quantum sensing efforts within DOD, including the offices responsible for managing and moving forward overall DOD quantum efforts?
2. What is the current internal coordination process for DOD efforts related to quantum sensing?
3. How are DOD quantum sensing efforts being coordinated with other government agencies, including the Department of Energy and the National Labs, the Department of Commerce, the National Science Foundation, and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency?
4. What emerging threats and areas of concern has DOD identified that quantum sensing my play a role in addressing? How has DOD already worked to use quantum sensing to address these threats?
5. Please describe DOD’s strategic plan, both near and long-term, to advance quantum sensing in national defense and to create redundancy for existing critical systems by using quantum sensing technology. How will DOD execute these strategic plans?
6. What is the current state of DOD efforts to use quantum sensing technology to advance alternative precision navigation and timing; undersea or underground detection; and advanced intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance imaging? How will DOD advance these specific efforts moving forward?
7. What does DOD need from Congress to support, sustain, and accelerate quantum sensing technology for national defense?

If any relevant information is classified, we request that you produce both an unclassified response that is suitable for public release, as well as a classified version for review by appropriate congressional personnel.

Thank you for addressing our concerns and for your continued work to protect our country.

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