NATO STO

Quantum technology is a key enabling technology, that is deemed to be disruptive for the military domain, impacting on one hand a wide variety of current science & technology disciplines and on the other hand all warfare areas. Military relevant examples include precise GPS denied PNT, breaking of cryptography, AI/Big data applications like pattern analysis and optimization and secure communications. However, civil R&D drives a lot of the quantum technologies and in most of the cases the military ‘business case’ is not determined yet. The latter is also relevant in the light of continuing developments in competing ‘classical’ technologies. NATO has therefore expressed its interest to strengthen its knowledge base on quantum. As key enabling technology, quantum technology potentially impacts the work of all STO panels, in any case the SET, AVT, and IST panels foresee activities starting in 2024, or have already running activities. Therefore, by decision of the NATO Science & Technology Board (STB), a Collaborative Program of Work (CPoW) Challenge on quantum technology was established in 2022. The Netherlands (NLD) leads this Challenge in close collaboration with DNK, ITA and CMRE. Aim is to establish a clear problem statement and several new Technical Activity Proposals. A Coordination and Technical Committee is proposed to jointly coordinate and manage at L2 level all activities initiated by this Challenge and to align them with already ongoing STO quantum activities and other NATO initiatives from e.g. NIAG, CNAD, NCIA and C3B. Many TAPs in the field of quantum technology are expected to be submitted in fall 2023 and spring 2024. Most of these TAPs will be cross-panel. To avoid duplication of efforts, encourage information exchange between different Panels, create a quantum ecosystem and ensure effective and efficient cooperation between all stakeholders, a Coordination and Technical Committee is proposed to coordinate all activities at an early stage and throughout the duration. Such a Coordination and Technical Committee should exist as long as a significant number of quantum activities are running in STO. A second, but not less important, task of this Committee would be to seek cooperation and alignment with other NATO bodies. The Coordination and Technical Committee ideally consists of representatives of the Panels, Members-at-Large, representatives of the core partners of the Quantum Technology Challenge (NLD, DEN, IT and CMRE), other NATO countries and liaisons with other NATO bodies. The preparation and implementation of such a Coordination and Technical Committee is urgent and should have high priority in order for this Committee to start as soon as the first actual quantum activities are ramping up. An ST seems thereto the most appropriate way to define as soon as possible a detailed program-of-work and terms-of-reference for this Committee, to set-up the optimum constitution of this Committee and finding commitment of nations involved, and to start already the first coordination of the TAPs approved in fall 2023. The ST should consist of the same parties as the proposed Coordination and Technical Committee. Preferable this ST should start immediately after the PBMs in fall 2023 (1 December 2023) by approval of the CSO Director on the recommendation of the Panels.