IonQ announced a major defense agreement today to scale advanced timekeeping technology. The company secured a $28 million contract modification from DARPA under the It’s About Time program. Additionally, the agreement includes an unexercised $30 million option that could bring total funding to $58 million. Under this initiative, IonQ will advance scalable manufacturing capabilities for its Evergreen-05 optical atomic clock.
Ultimately, the contract covers manufacturing development and deliveries of 125 units to U.S. government customers. The enterprise will supply 25 initial units under the base award and up to 100 additional units. Defense agencies deploy this precision geolocation across mission-critical systems including radar, secure communications, and geolocation.
Originally developed under DARPA’s Robust Optical Clock Network program, the Evergreen-05 represents a breakthrough optical atomic clock. The system features a highly compact, 5-liter shoebox-sized form factor engineered for tactical deployment.
Furthermore, it delivers remarkable timing stability of 50 femtoseconds at one second and nanosecond holdover across 10 days. This performance projects to a total timing error under one second over 30 million years. Compared with traditional hydrogen masers, this portable atomic clock delivers superior short-term stability within 1/75th of the volume. Consequently, its ruggedized package extends operational deployment across land, maritime, and airborne defense platforms.
“We added Vector Atomic to the IonQ family because their clocks and sensors are the best in the world,” said IonQ Chairman and CEO Niccolo de Masi. “DARPA’s investment under the It’s About Time program confirms that we made the right choice.”
“DARPA has been a partner every step of the way. That initial support was critical to prove the core concepts of our clock,” said Marty Boyd, director of IonQ’s timekeeping division and co-founder of Vector Atomic. “We joined IonQ to accelerate and scale up delivery of our commercial products, and DARPA’s continued support gives us the opportunity to do that.”
Scaling Quantum Manufacturing and Production Infrastructure
To fulfill these government deliveries, IonQ will invest $15 million directly into specialized production infrastructure. The company plans to establish a dedicated pilot manufacturing pipeline and acquire specialized testing equipment. Moreover, IonQ will hire technical support staff to operate the production facility, which targets completion by mid-2027. Deliverable units will follow within one year after facility completion to meet strict defense schedules.
Historically, DARPA began supporting the core Evergreen-05 optical atomic clock technology back in 2019. The agency initially funded Vector Atomic, a California startup that IonQ acquired in October 2025. Today, integrating Vector Atomic allows IonQ to expand rapidly into quantum positioning, navigation, and timing markets.
Meanwhile, this milestone reflects a broader strategic shift from basic research toward full-scale quantum equipment production. IonQ resolves critical manufacturing bottlenecks while creating a reliable domestic supply chain for government partners. As a result, this specialized optical atomic clock facility positions IonQ to lead next-generation national security timekeeping infrastructure.
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News Source: Businesswire.com
