Australian quantum startup Q-CTRL has secured two contracts with the US Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency to develop next-generation quantum sensors for military navigation systems.
The Sydney-based company said the contracts worth $38 million fall under DARPA’s Robust Quantum Sensors (RoQS) program, which is focused on creating resilient quantum devices for GPS-denied defence applications.
The program aims to transition quantum sensing technology out of laboratory settings and into the real world, tackling environmental challenges such as vibration, electromagnetic interference and high G-forces.
It comes a month after the company completed the first trial of a locally developed autonomous quantum sensor for navigation on a Navy training vessel off the coast of Australia.
The quantum dual gravimeter measured tiny variations in Earth’s gravity for almost a week without human intervention as part of a next-generation quantum-assured positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) system.
Q-CTRL chief executive Michael Biercuk said the company was honored that its recent trials and other ideas had “earned its selection to deliver a new generation of software‑ruggedised quantum sensors for the most challenging defense missions”.
“DARPA has an incredible track record of delivering innovations that change the face of society, from the internet and mobile phones to night vision and stealth,” Mr Biercuk said.
Q-CTRL will work with Lockheed Martin, which was awarded a contract by the US Department of Defense’s Innovation Unit earlier this year to prototype a quantum-enabled Inertial Navigation System.
“This award signifies the priority defense agencies are placing on the potential for quantum navigation solutions to deliver transformational national security capabilities that complement GPS,” Lockheed Martin senior fellow Thomas Loftus said.
The new contracts build on Q-CTRL’s earlier demonstrations of its Ironstone Opal quantum navigation system, which has shown performance improvements of up to 111-fold compared to high-end inertial systems in GPS-denied conditions.
The DARPA deals mark another step in Q-CTRL’s international expansion after it added $87 million to its multi-year Series B capital raise last year, bringing the round to $166 million.
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