Czech defencetech STV Group and UK cybersecurity company Post-Quantum today announced the successful testing of the world’s first quantum-safe drones for active deployment across allied theatres.
As allied nations adapt to warfighting defined by autonomous systems and drones, the ability to future-proof secure communications between drones and their operators is of paramount importance.
Drone swarms procured today may be stored and deployed in future operations years later. This dynamic requires drones manufactured today to incorporate encryption that’s resistant to attack by both classical and quantum computers. In Ukraine and the Middle East, unmanned platforms must operate under conditions that include:
- Jamming, GPS denial and signal interception,
- Beyond-line-of-sight missions over degraded communications links,
- Large-scale fleet command and control,
- Continuous transmission of sensitive ISR data.
At the same time, governments recognise that adversaries may already be collecting encrypted communications for decryption once quantum computing becomes viable.
With drone platforms expected to remain operational for decades, protecting these systems against future quantum threats is becoming a near-term requirement.
The two companies have now successfully trialled the new approach at STV’s weapons testing facility in the Czech Republic.
The collaboration combines STV’s combat-tested unmanned systems and command-and-control infrastructure with Post-Quantum’s patented post-quantum cryptography and secure radio technology. STV asserts that it is one of the very few companies worldwide that can deploy its drone solutions directly to operational environments without further certification.
Specifically, the partnership introduces two industry firsts:
- A quantum-resilient drone architecture designed for contested operational environments
- The first airborne deployment of Classic McEliece, the longest-studied post-quantum public-key cryptographic algorithm, previously considered infeasible for DDIL (denied, disrupted, intermittent, limited) communications
Classic McEliece for operational deployment
The new platform is underpinned by Classic McEliece, the code‑based post‑quantum cryptographic scheme co-invented by Post-Quantum. The partnership’s architecture uses the cryptography in a targeted, mission-aligned way by encrypting full‑motion video, imagery and flight metadata for the duration of the mission. This ensures sensitive ISR data remains confidential over the long term against Harvest Now Decrypt Later attacks.
Dr Pavel Kudrhalt, Chief Executive Officer of STV Group, said:
“STV’s unmanned platforms operate daily in Ukraine, where drone communications are among the most contested in the world. In this environment, communications security is no longer an afterthought – the risk of an adversary intercepting or even seizing control of a drone swarm is simply unacceptable.
By integrating Classic McEliece into our operational stack, we are giving our customers the strongest available future‑proof cryptography, engineered for the realities of the battlefield and ready for immediate deployment.”
According to Rikky Hasan, Chief Executive Officer of Post-Quantum, the partnership is about more than cryptography: "It is about delivering a complete sovereign unmanned operations system, with quantum‑resilient security built in as standard.”
“Classic McEliece’s large key size has long been considered too large for real-world deployments, especially for airborne platforms operating in DDIL environments.
We have proven that assumption wrong.
Its tiny ciphertexts and ultra‑fast encryption, combined with our experience in government‑grade radio communications and electronic warfare, make it the ideal choice for protecting drone ISR against both classical and quantum attacks."
The companies will begin phased integration of the quantum-resilient UAV platform across European and allied defence programmes.
Lead image: Freepik.
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