Arqit Limited has signed a new Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the U.S. Air Force (USAF) Research Laboratory, Directed Energy Directorate, Space Electro-Optics Division in order to demonstrate the interoperability and performance of Arqit’s QuantumCloud platform for defense use cases.
“The planned collaboration with Arqit under this agreement will highlight the performance and configurability of the Research Lab’s ground to space quantum infrastructure,” said Capt. Steven Long for the Air Force Research Laboratory. “This opportunity provided by Arqit gives us the ability to demonstrate a quantum communications channel with a commercial partner and conduct various scientific research experiments at the same time. This is made possible by Arqit’s advances in practical usability of quantum encryption in the private sector. By forming a relationship, we hope to remain at the cuttingedge of quantum technology, and highlight the important relationships we have with our international partners and allies.”
When the Arqit platform is upgraded to include quantum satellites, the space-to-ground quantum encryption links will also be examined in order to prove the viability of high bit-rate global quantum encryption to the USAF and the Department of Defense (DoD) end-points.
Under the agreement, a variety of performance measures and interoperabilities will be examined to demonstrate and validate the contribution that QuantumCloud can make to DoD facilities.
The expected outcome of the CRADA is to prove viable quantum encryption services from a commercial platform to DoD infrastructure for USAF and wider DoD use cases.
“We are honored to sign a CRADA with the USAF,” said Arqit Founder Chairman and CEO, David Williams. “They have a fantastic pedigree for embracing and developing pioneering technology and given its lead status in areas like directed energy, cyber warfare, and Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2), the USAF is the perfect partner for us not only in developing applications for US Government users but also for other Five-Eyes partners.”
