Davidson and D-Wave bring quantum computing to missile defense scenarios

During the busy schedule at the 2023 SMD Symposium, Davidson Technologies and D-Wave announced a partnership that will allow the two companies to make use of quantum computing to generate missile defense scenarios with a demonstration of an unclassified defense scenario generated using DecisionOne.

D-Wave, a commercial quantum computer and supplier Davidson Technologies announced that the companies entered into a multi-year reseller agreement in January. The agreement allows Davidson to resell D-Wave’s products and services. They are also collaborating to create classified quantum-hybrid applications for national defense programs like the one showcased, called DecisionOne.

D-wave CEO, Dr. Alan Baratz clarified that although standard computers can do an excellent job of creating realistic scenarios as well, they sometimes “choke” in ways quantum computers wouldn’t. Baratz said that in a worst case scenario, if a standard computer “chokes” having a quantum computer available would ensure an accurate result because even a few seconds of delay could prove disastrous. 

During the DecisionOne demonstration, Davidson COO Dale Moore set a very simple scenario to show attendees how the software worked. The scenario was set with a small number of threats and interceptors without degradation of performance, showing two possible defense scenarios for a hypothetical sea-based threat in Honolulu. 

“We are reaching out to D-Wave Hybrid Solver quantum computer real-time right now to optimize the solution to this problem. So what you’re going to see is an optimization of the weapon to target assignment,” Moore said. “There were probably four or five thousand different options from a solution perspective; we got to the optimized solution very, very quickly.”

“All the news media and everything says quantum computing is in the future quantum computing using their technology is here today, said John Holly, CEO and President of Davidson Technologies, in reference to D-Wave.

Holly explained that the benefit of using quantum computing in generating those scenarios is its speed in calculating outcomes.

“If you come to the right course of action faster, that gives you more battle space to engage the enemy attacks coming against our forces or our country. So it’s a complex problem if you need an answer quickly, and there are lots of potential outcomes. They’ll set 64 million in that one scenario. Those are all potential outcomes. How do you figure out which one you pursue? And so necking it down to find the optimal solution quickly is the advantage of quantum computing over standard high performance computing today,” said Holly.

Davidson Technologies and D-Wave plan to continue partnering to develop practical hybrid applications using quantum computing.

For more information, please visit www.dwavesys.com.