"the integrity of our systems for decades to come," Chief Information Officer Kirsten Davies said Wednesday as she described the Pentagon's new plan to prepare defense networks for the era of quantum computing.
Kirsten Davies at SAP NOW
Speaking at the SAP NOW summit in Washington, D.C., Davies framed the department's guidance as a defensive measure and a broader modernization effort. She warned that network modernization "is only a first step" and said the strategy will mitigate the danger posed by emerging quantum capabilities. Davies also described an ambition to use new technologies more effectively, saying the department is "unlocking the full potential of data and artificial intelligence" and that "We're transforming information into decision dominance, automating complex logistical challenges, predicting supply chain bottlenecks before they happen and ensuring our commanders and the warfighters have the intelligence they need at the speed of relevance.”
The Pentagon's five lines-of-effort
The strategy lays out five explicit lines-of-effort the department will pursue to accelerate adoption of post-quantum cryptography:
- centralize department governance;
- scan for vulnerabilities and develop a migration framework;
- develop post-quantum cryptographic algorithms and protocols;
- integrate secure commercial products into department operations; and
- deploy quantum-resistant devices.
Those lines-of-effort organize technical work, procurement choices, and defensive measures around a single, stated goal: moving Department of Defense systems away from cryptography that could be broken by quantum computers.
Hard deadlines: 2030 and 2031
The strategy sets two concrete compliance milestones. It requires that "all Pentagon systems must support post-quantum cryptography 'or be phased out' by the end of 2030," and that "all systems supporting new standards [must be implemented] by the end of 2031 'unless otherwise noted.'" The document was released Tuesday, one day after President Donald Trump signed two executive orders intended to accelerate domestic quantum development and protect federal cryptographic systems.
Workforce push and the Cyber Registered Apprenticeship Program
The department is pairing technical requirements with workforce initiatives. In April, the Pentagon announced a Cyber Registered Apprenticeship Program that emphasizes skills-based hiring over educational backgrounds — an approach the Trump administration has promoted. The announcement described the program as a pilot set to launch in July, and Davies said it "has already generated more than 70,000 inquiries." The apprenticeship effort is presented as part of a broader plan to "unleash the unmatched talents of the American workforce" while breaking down silos across industry and the federal enterprise.
What this means for technologists, procurement leaders, and commanders
- Technologists and security teams will be asked to scan systems for vulnerabilities, develop migration frameworks from legacy crypto, and implement post-quantum algorithms and protocols as outlined in the strategy.
- Procurement and acquisition leaders must reconcile the strategy's deadlines with current buying and sustainment plans, integrate "secure commercial products into department operations," and be prepared to phase out systems that cannot meet the 2030 requirement.
- Commanders and warfighters stand to receive quantum-resistant devices and faster intelligence flows if the department successfully combines cryptographic upgrades with the AI and data initiatives Davies described; the strategy ties technical defenses directly to operational readiness.
The Pentagon calls its new guidance a defensive modernization plan: a set of technical lines-of-effort backed by fixed timelines and a workforce recruitment push. Davies framed it as preparatory — "only a first step" — even as the document imposes binding deadlines that will force concrete choices on systems, suppliers, and personnel over the next five years. Whether the department meets those dates, implements its migration framework across sprawling systems, and translates the 70,000 apprenticeship inquiries into the skilled ranks it needs are the immediate follow-ons implicit in the strategy.
Read the original story: https://www.defenseone.com/policy/2026/06/quantum-strategy-cio/414409/
