From Promise to Performance: What the Anduril, Davidson, D-Wave Collaboration Signals for Quantum in National Defense

BOCA RATON, Fla. – When quantum computing is discussed in defense circles, the conversation often centers on future potential. At this year’s Qubits conference, that narrative shifted.

During D-Wave CEO Dr. Alan Baratz’s keynote, Davidson President and CEO Dale Moore and Anduril President and Chief Business Officer Matthew Steckman joined him on stage to discuss a new collaboration applying hybrid quantum computing to complex U.S. air and missile defense planning challenges. What emerged wasn’t speculation—it was confirmation that quantum computing is now producing measurable, mission-relevant results.

“This is my fourth Qubits,” Moore noted. “We’ve been on this stage before talking about different aspects of how we want to apply quantum technology to the use cases our customers care about.”

What made this moment different was not aspiration, but evidence—and the alignment of three companies bringing distinct strengths to a shared mission.

Video Courtesy: Anduril Industries

A Collaboration Built for Mission Reality

“Our mission is very simple,” Moore said. “Innovate with purpose, deliver with speed, and empower the warfighter.”

That mission, Moore explained, is what drew Davidson to work alongside Anduril and D-Wave. Anduril’s operational platforms and defense simulations, Davidson’s mission-domain modeling and secure computing expertise, and D-Wave’s quantum technology together create something uncommon in emerging technology partnerships: operational relevance from day one.

“When you combine that mission with the operational excellence Anduril is delivering today,” Moore said, “it brings an entirely different level to the applications we’re trying to develop.”

From Moore’s perspective, the importance of the collaboration is straightforward.

“This collaboration is really important and unique in the national security space.”

Why Quantum Matters as Complexity Scales

Both Moore and Steckman emphasized that the urgency around quantum computing is driven by a single, unavoidable factor: complexity.

“The problem sets we’re dealing with are only getting more complex,” Moore said. “When you underpin existing solutions with a quantum-based approach—particularly for optimizing decision-support mechanisms—it becomes foundational for the future of the national security environment.”

Steckman echoed that assessment from an operator’s point of view.

“Eight years ago, I wouldn’t have said quantum was on our roadmap,” he said. “About two years ago, the technology matured to the point where we believed there was a national security application today.”

As an integrator focused on fielding mature technologies, Anduril does not adopt emerging tools lightly. What surprised Steckman most was how quickly quantum computing moved from theory to utility.

“I’ve been shocked at how fast and how mature the technology has been in delivering actual, useful results to the problem sets we’re working on,” he said. “This stuff is ready. It’s ready to use now.”

Moving Beyond Skepticism

That readiness is changing how quantum computing is perceived across the defense community.

“The response across the defense industry mirrors our own journey,” Steckman said. “It’s moved from skepticism and science fiction to recognition that this is real and happening now.”

Moore framed that shift in terms of national responsibility.

“The threats we deal with every day are becoming more complex,” he said. “This technology is operationally viable today. We’re applying it to real mission problems our customers care about—and that’s where the value is.”

From his perspective, prioritizing quantum computing is no longer optional.

“To stay ahead of near-peer adversaries, the U.S. has to mature quantum technology across multi-domain applications,” Moore said. “The proliferation of missile technology around the world is a critical security risk. Our focus is staying ahead of the mission and delivering real value—and quantum will be part of that.”

What Comes Next

Missile defense was a deliberate starting point.

“We started there because we had a customer ready to explore quantum’s impact in that domain,” Moore explained.

But both leaders were clear that this is only the beginning.

“There are an infinite number of optimization problems within the national security community,” Moore said. “From network optimization to contested logistics, the use cases expand quickly.”

For Steckman, the path forward remains grounded in realism.

“We’re pressure-testing quantum against real defense problems—not hypothetical ones,” he said. “Our work to deliver this capability to the warfighter is just beginning.”

A Signal to the Defense Community

Taken together, the discussion marked an inflection point. Quantum computing is no longer framed as a distant breakthrough waiting to happen. It is being benchmarked, integrated, and applied today by organizations responsible for some of the nation’s most complex defense challenges.

As Moore put it simply: bringing together the right hardware, software, algorithms, domain expertise, and systems integration “is going to prove to be a game-changing moment.”

For the defense community, the message from the Qubits stage was clear: quantum computing has moved from promise to performance—and the work to scale its impact has begun.