These advances could lead to dual-use risks as quantum tools can boost irregular warfare through cheap, portable jammers and decoys while challenging arms control. Classical encryption systems such as RSA face a serious risk from Shor’s algorithm once quantum computers mature, while cyber threats are growing faster than traditional key-rotation methods can handle. Upgrading defence networks with post-quantum cryptography is expensive and time-consuming.
In surveillance and navigation, GPS-denied environments and electronic jamming limit conventional sensors, reducing early detection of stealth platforms. Quantum sensors offer higher sensitivity in contested zones. Meanwhile, traditional communication systems remain vulnerable to interception and cyber attacks, exposing critical command-and-control structures during modern conflicts.