AFCEA International’s Intelligence Committee takes over the Disruptive by Design podcast for a special intelligence 3-part series exploring the technologies and challenges shaping national security.

In this first episode, guest host Ret. Lt. Gen. Bob Ashley, former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, dives into the rapidly evolving world of quantum technology and its implications for intelligence, defense and global competition. We've heard on repeat that AI is going to change everything, but we haven't heard too much conversation about quantum. Quantum is no longer theoretical—it’s approaching a tipping point. Ashley sits down with two leading experts to unpack what quantum really means for national security, from breaking encryption to reshaping warfare. As breakthroughs accelerate and that global competition—especially with China—intensifies, the panel explores why the next 3–5 years could define who leads in this high‑stakes technology race, and what happens if the United States falls behind.

Tune in as Ashley is joined by Dr. Costanza Vidal Bustamante, fellow with the Technology and National Security Program at the Center for a New American Security, and Dr. Mihir Bhaskar, senior vice president for global research and development at IonQ.