Lockheed Martin has launched a dedicated center to develop quantum technologies for military applications, including sensing, navigation, communications, and computing.
The Lockheed Martin Quantum Innovation Center (QuIC) will bring the company’s 15-year quantum research and prototype work under one organization focused on moving the technology toward defense applications.
Rather than focusing solely on quantum computing, the center will work across several areas, including quantum sensing and navigation and timing.
QuIC will also integrate technology developed outside Lockheed Martin, including products from companies backed by its venture capital arm. The company said its Ventures fund recently expanded to $1 billion.
A separate quantum hub in Switzerland, launched by Lockheed Martin and IBM at ETH Zurich earlier in September, will give researchers access to an IBM Quantum System Two and support research involving Swiss universities, startups, and industry.
Lockheed Martin also plans to use QuIC for workforce development. Its Quantum Talent Pipeline program provides quantum training for employees, while Quantum Sprouts funds internal research projects.
US Pushes Quantum Technology
Quantum technology uses properties of matter at very small scales to perform measurements, calculations, and other tasks that can be difficult or impossible with conventional systems.
For defense, some of the most immediate applications involve sensing and navigation rather than quantum computers. Quantum sensors can measure gravity, magnetic fields, acceleration, and other physical quantities with extremely high precision, potentially allowing military systems to navigate without relying entirely on GPS.
That possibility has become a focus of US defense research.
In August, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency launched the It’s About Time program to establish a pilot manufacturing pipeline for tactical-grade optical clocks, addressing the difficulty of producing quantum and quantum-enabled technologies at scale.
Earlier, in 2025, the agency also launched its Robust Quantum Sensors program to develop sensors that can operate on moving military platforms despite vibration and electromagnetic interference. The program is examining potential applications across ground vehicles, submarines, satellites, and unmanned aircraft.