Britain assessing quantum threat to military crypto

Britain’s Ministry of Defence is reviewing its cryptographic dependencies as it prepares military systems for the transition to post-quantum encryption. In a parliamentary answer published on October 21, 2026, Defence Minister Luke Pollard responded to a question about the vulnerability of military command-and-control networks to quantum-based decryption, but provided no quantified assessment of their exposure. He said the review remains underway in line with wider government guidance and that any necessary replacements will be handled through Defence’s post-quantum migration planning and equipment refresh cycles. The response did not announce a completion date, specific procurement or completed migration.