NATO has put dates on its quantum ambitions, including trials aimed at keeping troops moving when satellite navigation fails.
Allies signed off on the plan on July 30, and the alliance released a public summary of it on Sept. 29. The roadmap covers three branches of the field and rests on the quantum strategy NATO agreed in 2023.
Sensing carries the most immediate operational weight. Sea trials set for this year and next will test quantum sensors for positioning, navigation and timing, specifically in conditions where global navigation satellite signals are unavailable or untrustworthy. Jamming and spoofing of satellite navigation have become routine in conflict zones, and quantum sensors offer a path to heading and timekeeping that does not depend on radio links from orbit.
On the communications side, NATO wants a quantum-resilient link running between its Brussels headquarters and its military headquarters in Mons, Belgium, by the end of 2027. An initial report on military pilot assessments is due in early 2027, alongside work on quantum-resistant cryptography, common standards and workforce training. A concept for an allied quantum computing access network is slated for the final quarter of 2027.
The roadmap also points to the intersection with other dual-use fields, naming AI, space and next-generation communications. Wider deployment depends on what the trials show.
