Trump signs orders to build scientific quantum computer by 2028 and fast-track post-quantum crypto migration

A dual executive order

President Donald Trump signed two executive orders on Monday that sharply accelerate US quantum technology efforts. The first, titled "Ushering in the next Frontier of Quantum Innovation," launches a national initiative to build the first quantum computer powerful enough for scientific discovery and commercial applications, with a target of 2028. The second mandates a nationwide migration to post-quantum cryptography for high-value government systems between 2030 and 2031.

“We believe this can happen by 2028.”

Post-quantum cryptography migration timeline

Under a 2022 National Security Agency schedule, most organizations had until 2035 to transition. The new order cuts that deadline by 4–5 years for high-impact systems. Key establishment schemes must be quantum-ready by December 31, 2030, and digital signature schemes by December 31, 2031. A pilot program is to be completed by the end of 2027.

“For any system that falls into this new bucket of high-value assets and high-impact systems, their transition timelines just got shortened by 4-5 years. That is a significant shortening.”

Quantum sensors for the Pentagon

The orders also direct the Department of Defense to deploy quantum sensors by 2028. These devices could help aircraft navigate in GPS-denied environments and, placed on satellites, detect underground structures such as tunnels or missile silos.

“There are many interesting things that quantum sensing can bring even before quantum computers.”

Private-sector landscape

Major US companies are targeting commercial fault-tolerant quantum computers by 2029. IBM plans to invest more than $10 billion over five years, while Google and Microsoft are pursuing similar timelines. The government’s 2028 scientific machine, to be hosted at a Department of Energy facility, is described as a stepping stone toward larger systems and will have more modest capabilities than the commercial versions.

Geopolitical stakes

The moves are explicitly framed as a response to the technological race with China. The White House described quantum computing as a revolution, and Trump declared the US would "invest in American quantum leadership like never before." The Commerce Department had already announced $2 billion in CHIPS Act incentives for nine quantum-sector firms in May.