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Pentagon may see one of quantum computing's first practical winners

Published

11 August 2026

Topic

opportunities

◆ Sectors

Quantum Computing

◆ Geography

United States

◆ Source

Read at thestreet.com →

◆ Verified

Fusion42 · 23 August 2026 · Fusion42 review

IonQ received a $28 million DARPA contract modification to produce 25 Evergreen-05 optical atomic clocks, with a potential total of $58 million for 125 units, marking a shift from quantum computing experiments to practical defence applications in precise timekeeping for radar, secure communication, and GPS-denied navigation.

This Wire brief sits within Fusion42's coverage of Quantum Computing.

◆ ◆ The Wire takeaway

Your quantum sensing startup now faces a new production standard set by DARPA and IonQ's contract. Meeting government-scale manufacturing and reliability demands this week could unlock defence contracts and validation for practical quantum products.

◆ Coverage

1 source · 11 Aug 2026

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◆ Topics

Quantum Computingquantum-computingdefensedarpaatomic-clocksquantum-sensing