An inquiry on the development and applications of quantum technologies

Science and knowledge along with new technologies have always played a key role in providing defense and national security needs. Quantum technologies are among emerging technologies that use the laws of nature to provide unprecedented capabilities in sensing, imaging, communication, and computing, and because of their dual use, have the potential to reshape the world and spark a new arms race. Quantum technologies for military applications introduce new capabilities, improving effectiveness and increasing precision, thus leading to ‘quantum warfare’, wherein new military strategies, doctrines, policies and ethics should be established. This paper provides a basic overview of quantum technologies under development, also estimating the expected time scale of delivery or the utilization impact. Accordingly, considerable public and private investments have been made around the world to develop these technologies and leave the laboratories and enter the operational stage. Due to the continuous development of technology, the threats posed are also increasingly diverse, and quantum technologies are likely to transform our lives in the next 20 years. In this article, we provide a general introduction about quantum technologies in progress, and we will report the military applications of quantum technology for various defense fields, and finally, we will present a report on the current state of achieving this technology in the world.