C12 and Thales have launched QuantumTrack, a hybrid quantum-classical system for real-time radar tracking, achieving TRL 5 with promising test results.
C12 and Thales, two prominent French companies, have unveiled QuantumTrack, a groundbreaking hybrid quantum-classical system aimed at enhancing real-time radar tracking of multiple targets.
Developed on an emulator, QuantumTrack has achieved a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 5, with plans for upcoming tests on C12's physical quantum processor.
Solving Complex Radar Challenges
QuantumTrack addresses a major challenge in radar technology by implementing the Multiple Hypothesis Tracking algorithm. This involves matching numerous detections from radar scans with known trajectories while filtering out noise and false targets.
The number of potential combinations grows exponentially, which can overwhelm classical algorithms, forcing them to limit the hypotheses they consider to meet the demands of real-time processing. To tackle this, C12 and Thales have designed a system that divides computational tasks between classical and quantum components.
The quantum processor is tasked with the most complex aspect: selecting compatible hypotheses. It breaks down the larger problem into smaller tasks, utilizing quantum annealing to solve them, and then integrates the solutions back into the main model.
Performance Metrics
In trials involving noisy inputs and interference, QuantumTrack showed solution times on par with the best classical algorithms and was approximately 100 times faster than other quantum annealers tested. These trials utilized Callisto, C12's emulator, which simulates a physical processor equipped with 20 qubits, factoring in error rates and decoherence.
According to the developers, a full cycle of QuantumTrack is estimated to take around 50 milliseconds, indicating that the system is nearing real-time radar tracking capabilities.
Future Developments
The project has been recognized with the 2026 Quantum Effects Award in the quantum computing hardware category. The next step for C12 and Thales is to demonstrate this technology on a physical processor, aiming to reach TRL 6. They are also looking into applications for air defense systems and managing drone traffic. Thales, a leader in aerospace, military, and maritime information systems, is the system integrator for this initiative, while C12 focuses on developing the quantum annealer for QuantumTrack to facilitate large-scale real-time optimization.
In related news, Thales recently launched the Luna 8 security hardware module for managing cryptographic keys.
