Deadline Date: September 29, 2026
The European Defence Fund is advancing the development of quantum-secured tactical networks to provide highly secure, resilient, and flexible communication systems for military operations.
This initiative focuses on software-defined radio solutions and software-defined network solutions to enhance the security, agility, and interoperability of military networks. Key objectives include the integration of Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), post-quantum cryptography (PQC), physical unclonable functions (PUFs), and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence for threat detection and edge computing for decentralized processing. Additional priorities include enabling mobile and space-based QKD nodes, improving cyber resilience, ensuring redundancy in network architecture, exploiting 5G/6G network capabilities, and defining security standards and network management policies for multi-domain coalition scenarios.
Current and future military operations rely heavily on information and communication services for command and control, surveillance, reconnaissance, and intelligence sharing, necessitating a secure and robust communication and information system (CIS) infrastructure. Traditional networks are often rigid and static, but software-defined networks (SDNs) provide the necessary agility and flexibility by separating the control and data planes, centralizing network policies, and enabling programmability. This allows for faster deployment of new services and devices, seamless reconfiguration, and improved interoperability across heterogeneous networks.
Implementing SDN in defense contexts presents challenges, particularly in tactical environments where sensitive information must be protected. The goal is to develop SDN solutions with high logical centralization and adaptable integration that maintain continuity even under network link disruptions or cyberattacks. Quantum technologies, including QKD and PQC, play a central role in securing these networks by providing mechanisms to detect intrusions in real time and distribute cryptographic keys safely, even in mobile or highly dynamic environments.
The integration of mobile QKD nodes, such as those deployed on drones, and software-defined radios that are interoperable with these quantum-enabled networks, is key for operational flexibility. Combining these capabilities with SDN, network function virtualization (NFV), and advanced 5G/6G network slicing ensures tailored secure communication services suitable for frequent and reliable tactical use. Furthermore, managing network nodes in federated environments and establishing practical key management services are essential for coalition operations.
By uniting classical and quantum communications under a single management framework, these networks optimize resource use while maintaining compliance with strict military security principles, including red-black separation. This approach supports the operational validation of quantum-secured networks in realistic tactical scenarios, ensuring a technological edge for European armed forces.
For more information, visit EC.
