A Quantum Leap for Defense Computing Applications

November 13, 2025

Several U.S.-based government and defense agencies, and customers are exploring quantum use cases in areas such as radar detection, resource deployment, military logistics optimization, materials science, and national security at a research and development facility in Huntsville, Alabama.

One of D-Wave's engineers holds a prototype quantum computer during the company's participation in the 2025 Space and Missile Defense Symposium in Huntsville, Alabama. (Image: D-Wave Quantum Computing Inc.)

D-Wave Quantum Inc. — the California-based quantum computing and engineering services provider — has made their “Advantage2” quantum computer operational at Davidson Technologies, Inc.'s Huntsville headquarters. Davidson Technologies is a Defense Department engineering and algorithmic services provider, with a focus on solving complex engineering challenges. The D-Wave system is expected to address mission-critical U.S. government problems, particularly in national defense, and will eventually run “sensitive applications,” according to the two companies.

The launch marks a major milestone in a multi-year agreement and technology collaboration between D-Wave and Davidson to accelerate quantum computing adoption and deployment among U.S. government agencies.

“This is a momentous day for D-Wave and, we believe, a significant step forward in accelerating the U.S. government’s use of quantum computing now,” said Dr. Alan Baratz, CEO of D-Wave. “Together with Davidson, we can help the U.S. government apply quantum computing today to drive mission-critical decision-making, fuel operational efficiencies, and protect national interests.”

Available for customer use now via D-Wave’s Leap real-time quantum cloud service, the system housed at Davidson’s headquarters is D-Wave’s second U.S.-based annealing quantum computer and the first in Alabama. Leading industry voices and Alabama lawmakers affirmed their support for this pivotal moment, highlighting the state’s expanding leadership in advanced technology and its growing role in driving innovation within national defense.

“Davidson and D-Wave partnering to provide the Advantage2 system to customers is an important step forward in our pursuit of cutting-edge national security solutions,” said Dale Moore, President and CEO of Davidson. “The goal is for this advanced technology to equip national security agencies with unmatched capabilities to anticipate threats, secure critical systems, and maintain global technological dominance in an era of accelerating complexity.”

According to D-Wave's product description of the Advantage2 on its website, the system is the company's most advanced quantum processing unit (QPU) with 4,400+ superconducting qubits, special shielding to protect from electromagnetic interference, and cooling equipment called a dilution refrigerator. The cooling equipment chills the QPU down to temperatures colder than interstellar space and works with the electromagnetic shield to isolate the qubits from any outside interference or noise, which protects the system’s ability to harness quantum effects, according to D-Wave.

The two companies first established their agreement to deploy the computer at Davdison's headquarters in June 2024.

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