What project MQB-01 buys
The Quantum Technologies project addresses the Applied Research associated with the development and evaluation of emerging technologies and system concepts that exploit or employ quantum technology and phenomenon for quantum computing and networking to include hardware, software, relevant protocols, and commercialization prospects. This PE also supports innovation and incubation of advanced quantum hardware, architectures, software, and design automation for computing, networking, and sensing. Prior to FY 2026, efforts in this Project were funded in PE 0602716E, Project ELT-02.
Project MQB-01 funding, FY2025–FY2031
Prior years are actuals, the budget year is the request, and the outyears are the FYDP plan. Estimate types are colored and never summed into one figure. Projects carry the full five-year plan; the activities inside them stop at the budget year.
| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 0.0 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 358.1 |
| FY2027 | Request | 603.2 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 487.8 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 102.0 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 108.0 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 112.0 |
7 accomplishments / planned programs
The R-2A exhibit — the only level of the budget that describes work that has not happened yet. Activities carry the prior, current and budget year only, no five-year plan. 5 of them describe FY2027 work in enough detail to have their own page; the rest are shown here in full. Coverage is partial across the corpus, so count activities, never total them.
- Expand evaluations of plausible utility-scale concepts as needed to prevent strategic surprise. - Finalize R&D plans, including detailed execution plans addressing the major risks associated with building a utility-scale quantum computer, planned risk mitigation steps, and plans for prototypes that will demonstrate risk reduction…
Read the FY2027 plan →- Investigate new concepts in combined quantum sensing with quantum networking. - Explore hardware interconnectivity between heterogeneous qubit platforms. - Evaluate heterogeneous quantum architectures for relevant use cases. - Initiate design activities for manufacturable quantum sensors.
Read the FY2027 plan →- Reduce Size, Weight and Power (SWaP) of qNICs towards deployable hardware package. - Test, evaluate, and document developed quantum-augmented network protocols for standardization of protocols. - Develop and evaluate proof of concept over air quantum-augmented links by modifying qNICs.
Read the FY2027 plan →- Demonstrate initial components of heterogeneous quantum interconnects. - Demonstrate heterogeneous quantum circuit compilers on small reference circuits. - Develop preliminary heterogenous quantum computer architecture specifications.
Read the FY2027 plan →- Demonstrate robust quantum sensors on government platforms. - Validate theory and limits of operation of robust quantum sensors. - Develop integration requirements and methodology for system demonstrations.
Read the FY2027 plan →FY2027 planned work - Identify transition paths to wide DoW applicability for electrically-small receivers. - Identify transition paths to wide DoW applicability for electrically-small transmitters.
FY2026 to FY2027 change The FY 2027 decrease reflects the shift from concept validation to demonstration of the electrically-small receiver and transmitter.
FY2026 plans — current year - Demonstrate electrically-small receiver performance in a relevant environment. - Demonstrate electrically-small transmitter performance in a relevant environment. - Develop plan for validation of system performance with government partners.
FY2027 planned work - Demonstrate a fully-integrated tactical-grade clock. - Demonstrate use of tactical-clock with DoW communications equipment.
FY2026 to FY2027 change The FY 2027 decrease reflects the shift from initial design to initiating construction of tactical-grade clock components.
FY2026 plans — current year - Demonstrate aging-insensitive operation in realistic environments. - Initiate construction of fully-integrated clock.