Researchers seek to develop deployable quantum computing by 2033 to exceed ability of supercomputers - Military Aerospace

Essential news and insights on defense and aerospace electronic technologies. ARLINGTON, Va. – U.S. military researchers are trying to re-ignite industry interest in developing quantum computing systems that can perform reliable practical computations on real-world problems that exceed the capabilities of conventional supercomputers. Officials of the U.S.

Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in Arlington, Va., issued a program announcement (DARPA-PA-26-02) in November to announce the Quantum Benchmarking Initiative (QBI) 2026 project. Quantum computing uses quantum mechanics to process information using quantum bits (qubits) instead of classical bits to solve complex problems beyond the reach of traditional computers. This project involve so-called utility-scale quantum computing, which focuses on solving real-world problems that are beyond the reach of conventional supercomputers no later than 2033. QBI 2026 is an expansion of the existing DARPA Underexplored Systems for Utility-Scale Quantum Computing (US2QC) program, and follows a QBI program solicitation (DARPA-PS-24-26) released in August 2024. QBI 2026 topics will be announced in future calls for proposals that will focus on near-term quantum computing concepts; risk mitigation; prototypes; ways to verify and validate quantum computing technology; and on testing and evaluation tools. The goal is to determine if approaches to quantum computing can achieve utility-scale operation by 2033, and perhaps developing deployable quantum computing machines by that time. The project seeks to minimize the burden of entry and reduce program risk. DARPA Will release QBI topics of interest until 14 Nov. 2026, and is not asking for industry responses until these topics are released. Email questions or concerns to Joseph Altepeter, the QBI 2026 program manager, at QBI@darpa.mil. More information is online at https://sam.gov/workspace/contract/opp/c26b38bf041a4d70b00ed619bebb4773/view. John Keller is the Editor-in-Chief, Military & Aerospace Electronics Magazine--provides extensive coverage and analysis of enabling electronics and optoelectronic technologies in military, space and commercial aviation applications. John has been a member of the Military & Aerospace Electronics staff since 1989 and chief editor since 1995. Take advantage of our EXCLUSIVE benefits. Create your account to start your free membership. These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable information. These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. These cookies generate aggregate statistics that are not associated with an individualized profile. If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site, and will not be able to monitor and improve its performance. These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. By recognizing you when you return to our website, these cookies allow us to record information about your visit to our website, such as pages visited, links followed, and videos viewed so we can personalize our content for you, remember your preferences (for example, your choice of topics, language or region), and display advertising that is more relevant to your interests. These cookies may enable visitor identification over time, but not across non-Endeavor Business Media websites. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly. These cookies may be set through our site by third party advertisers. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant advertisements on other sites. These cookies may enable visitor identification across websites and over time. They are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. We do not control the third party's use of those cookies, their duration, or their ability to share information with other third parties. Please review each party's cookie disclosure before consenting to this use category. Our website may contain helpful but non-essential features or plug-ins enabling third party social media services that use cookies to enable you to share our content with your friends and networks. These cookies may enable visitor identification across websites over time and building a profile of your interests. This may impact the content and messages you see on other websites you visit. We do not control the third party's use of those cookies, their duration, or their ability to share information with other third parties. If you do not allow these cookies you may not be able to use or see these sharing tools.