Post-Quantum Encryption: The New Frontier of Defence Innovation
During 2025, geopolitical stability continued to decline as Russia sustained its invasion of Ukraine. This conflict has fundamentally altered the nature of modern warfare. Military success is no longer defined solely by heavy armour, but by the rapid integration of cost-effective commercial technologies, particularly drones. These systems allow both sides to inflict massive damage at a fraction of the cost of conventional missiles.
Many of these components originate in China, a superpower that showcased its own rapidly advancing capabilities during a major military parade in September. More recently, China demonstrated these strengths through live-fire exercises, missile launches, and amphibious manoeuvres near Taiwan.
The war in Ukraine and China’s rapid technological ascent require a critical rethink. Continued Western military supremacy requires the urgent integration of innovations developed by the commercial sector.
The Agility Gap: Lessons from Unit-X
This need for commercial speed was famously highlighted in the book Unit-X. Author Raj Shah, a former fighter pilot, recalls flying missions on the Iraq-Iran border in 2006. He realized his F16 jet lacked a satellite navigation system precise enough to keep him out of Iranian airspace. His solution was not a decade-long procurement process. Instead, he strapped a $300 Compaq PDA to his leg to provide the navigation he needed.
Today, the PDA on the leg is no longer about GPS; it is about encryption. As warfare becomes fully digital, the question is how existing industries can innovate quickly enough to retain an edge. Success requires moving away from legacy models toward agile partnerships that can address the next great vulnerability: the quantum threat.
The Invisible Vulnerability: Why Post-Quantum Cryptography is Non-Negotiable
At the moment warfare became tech-enabled, the cyber threat landscape shifted. The prospect of a cryptographically relevant quantum computer is now on the near-term horizon. Such a machine will render today’s standard encryption algorithms obsolete.
The danger is not just in the future. Through Harvest Now, Decrypt Later (HNDL) attacks, adversaries are currently collecting encrypted Western data to decrypt it once quantum capabilities mature.
In 2022, the US government labelled the HNDL threat as existential. This is particularly true in defence, where battlefield plans and R&D data must remain secure for decades. While the US has made federal preparedness a legal requirement, the broader alliance must move faster. Supremacy in cyber security equates to supremacy on the battlefield. Just as the Enigma code-breaking altered the trajectory of World War Two, quantum-safe encryption will dictate the winners of future conflicts.
The Power of the Pairing: Post-Quantum and STV
We are finally seeing the first real-world deployments of Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) by European defence organizations. This is exemplified by the strategic cooperation agreement between Czech defence leader STV and the UK-based cybersecurity specialist Post-Quantum.
STV, one of the fastest-growing defence manufacturers in Europe, has signed a multi-year license to use the Post-Quantum communications platform. This partnership is a classic example of how two plus two equals more than four. By fusing STV’s world-class defence hardware with Post-Quantum’s NATO-tested encryption technology, the two companies have delivered a first-mover disruption that neither could achieve alone.
STV produces a wide range of products, from 155mm artillery shells to advanced FPV drones. By embedding Post-Quantum’s technology into these platforms, STV is not just updating software. They are building a competitive moat. In a market where every NATO ally is now looking for quantum-proof supply chains, the STV and Post-Quantum pairing provides a new global benchmark for digital trust.
STV has the operational agility to move at this pace because of its extensive role in Ukraine. There is no substitute for real-world agility forged on the ground, and by partnering with Post-Quantum, they are ensuring that their technological edge remains impenetrable in the quantum era.
JUDr. Pavel Kudrhalt, CEO of STV, noted the strategic importance of the move. He stated that this is about building an uncompromising, end-to-end secure ecosystem. He emphasized that quantum-safe defences are no longer optional because customers demand full supply chain assurance. By embedding Post-Quantum’s technology, STV is redefining digital trust for NATO allies and national clients, whether they are safeguarding command chains or operating mission-critical drones.
A Call for Greater Urgency
While the STV and Post-Quantum strategy offers a path to follow, Western nations must act with more speed. Russia’s use of hybrid warfare across Europe is now a daily reality. Offensive cyber security is a primary tool in their kit, posing a direct risk to military installations and critical infrastructure.
As adversaries improve their offensive capabilities, we must counter them. This necessitates closer collaboration between governments and commercial technology innovators like Post-Quantum. We must ensure that communications remain secure and free from interception, not just for today, but for the entire duration of the quantum era.