The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has bought a quantum computer in the hope that the technology can be installed in battlefield tanks, says Richard Murray, the CEO of Orca Computing. Orca announced the deal with the MoD this week, but the initial focus is on research and training.

“This device we’re shipping to them certainly won’t do anything a classical computer won’t, and I suppose, in that view, it’s a research tool,” says Murray. “There’s a lot of activity being funded at the moment on upskilling.

But there's one big problem: it's not exactly clear what these computers are supposed to do on board any kind of military equipment, especially considering scientists have yet to prove if there are any groundbreaking, real-world applications for the tech.

"This device we’re shipping to them certainly won’t do anything a classical computer won’t, and I suppose, in that view, it’s a research tool," Murray told New Scientist. "There’s a lot of activity being funded at the moment.

That's pretty vague. Historically, quantum computers have been shown to greatly speed up the solving of very specific mathematical problems.

How those capabilities could be applied to help in a military context are even less clear.

"Our ambition is that this technology will make communication on the battlefield significantly easier through applications such as image recognition and sensor management," an Orca spokesperson told New Scientist.

"This technology will make information processing for command decisions on the battlefield more agile and reduces risks from data sharing with an undeployable processor located off the battlefield."

We can't shake the feeling that Orca's deal with the Ministry of Defense is a solution in search of a problem.

Whether quantum computers could actually allow tanks to get smarter and give the UK's military a significant enough edge on the battlefield is anybody's guess at this point.
The US has placed a dozen Chinese groups involved in quantum computing and other advanced technologies on an export blacklist, saying they pose a risk of gaining access to critical American technologies for the People’s Liberation Army. The move, which makes it almost impossible for US companies to sell technologies to the listed companies, targeted a total of 27 entities, including 12 in China and two affiliated firms in Japan and Singapore. In addition to quantum computing, the list included companies in the semiconductor and aerospace industries. Eight of the Chinese groups were specifically targeted to prevent them from accessing sensitive quantum-related technology, the US commerce department said, arguing they could help the PLA improve counter-stealth and counter-submarine applications and facilitate efforts to break US encryption.

WORLD

Britain’s armed forces lack modern ‘battle-winning capabilities’

Politicians say not enough money is being spent on researching future warfare technology

The Russian invasion of Ukraine is a reminder of the 'risks and responsibilities' that come with the UK’s membership in Nato. Photo: UK Ministry of Defence

Neil Murphy May 10, 2022

Britain’s armed forces may lack the “modern battle-winning capabilities” they need to meet the demands of future warfare, MPs have said.

The Commons Public Accounts Committee said the Russian invasion of Ukraine was a reminder of the “risks and responsibilities” that come with the UK’s membership in Nato.

But while other countries have been developing new technology such as hypersonic weapons, the committee said the Ministry of Defence has had to face “capability gaps” in the current forces.

The Government integrated of foreign policy and defence last year identified Russia as “the most acute threat” to national security.

But the committee said it was concerned that recent events meant the ministry still “downplays” the scale of the threat Moscow poses to the UK’s interests.