Quantum computing company IonQ has signed a $54.5 million contract with the United States Air Force Research Lab. The focus of the partnership is to design, develop, and deliver technology and hardware that enables the scaling, networking, and deployability of quantum systems.

The project will help advance quantum networking compatibility with existing telecommunications infrastructure, interoperability with different quantum systems and devices, and deployability of systems suitable for various environments. The contract will be delivered over four years.

IonQ won a contract last month with the Applied Research Laboratory for Intelligence and Security to design a networked quantum computing system for the Department of Defense.