Quantum Technologies and Military Strategy

This book is about the strategic relevance of quantum technologies. It debates the military-specific aspects of this technology. Various chapters of this book cohere around two specific themes. The first theme discusses the global pattern of ongoing civilian and military research on quantum computers, quantum cryptography, quantum communications and quantum internet. The second theme explicitly identifies the relevance of these technologies in the military domain and the possible nature of quantum technology-based weapons. This thread further debates on quantum (arms) race at a global level in general, and in the context of the USA and China, in particular. The book argues that the defence utility of these technologies is increasingly becoming obvious and is likely to change the nature of warfare in the future.

Dr. Ajey Lele is Senior Fellow at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA), New Delhi, India. He started this professional career with the Indian Air Force (IAF), but left the IAF to peruse his academic interests. He holds the rank of Group Captain. He has obtained Masters in Physics and his Ph.D. is in International Relations. His specific areas of research include issues related to weapons of mass destruction (WMD), space security and strategic technologies. His important book publications include Strategic Technologies for the Military, Asian Space Race: Rhetoric or Reality (Springer, 2013) and Disruptive Technologies for the Militaries and Security (Springer, 2019).