Microelectronics Technology Development and Support

Mission — Microelectronics Technology Development and Support (DMEA) source

The Defense Microelectronics Activity (DMEA) mission is to leverage advanced technologies to provide microelectronics solutions across the entire spectrum of technology development and system acquisition phases. It is critical to National Security for the Department to maintain technological superiority through microelectronics solutions via partnerships with the Defense Industrial Base, and by alternative means when industry is unable or unwilling to provide them. DMEA provides an in-house capability to quickly develop and deliver timely, cost-effective, technically appropriate solutions to sustain weapon systems, to modernize their capabilities, increase their lethality, address new threats, and meet operational demands. DMEA augments its in-house capability through extensive industry and Government partnerships, which enable streamlined access to a variety of microelectronics technologies and engineering services to enhance responsiveness and develop sources for advanced microelectronics solutions. DMEA’s capabilities are critical in an atmosphere of diminishing domestic semiconductor manufacturing capability and increasing worldwide supply chain risks. The Department has very little influence over the microelectronics industry; the defense market represents less than 0.1% share of the total global semiconductor market. Access to mainstream, State of the Practice (SOTP) and State of the Art (SOTA) technologies is therefore a major and growing challenge. Threats to defense microelectronics include counterfeiting, latent vulnerabilities, malicious insertions, reliability issues particular to military environments, consolidation and off-shoring of manufacturing, rapid obsolescence and diminishing technology availability coming from an unpredictable and unsecured supply chain. In addition, as the Department maintains its weapon systems longer than originally planned, extended use increases demand for sustainment and modernization, which further intensifies the need for DMEA’s unique capabilities. DMEA provides the Department with engineering expertise and laboratories to address the myriad of microelectronics issues and to meet military requirements across the entire spectrum of technology research and development, acquisition, and long-term support. DMEA applies its specialized capabilities to resolve microelectronics issues for hundreds of distinct Department programs across the acquisition lifecycle every year. In addition, DMEA assists the Combatant Commands (COCOMs) including SOCOM and CYBERCOM, and the Intelligence and Radiation-Hard communities. DMEA also manages the Trusted Foundry Program which provides the Department with access to SOTA microelectronics manufacturing capabilities with the added benefit of Trust when required. This program administers and manages a robust ecosystem of accredited suppliers that meet the Departments requirements for semiconductor assurance per DoDI 5200.44. This program also provides the Department with the most advanced ASIC technology’s available in a Trusted or ITAR assurance level. The program also provides for a Multi-Project Wafer (MPW) program, which enables the DoD to transfer research and prototyping into production acquisition programs.

Mission — Defense MicroElectronics Activity (DMEA) source

DMEA maintains an in-house ability to quickly develop and deliver timely, cost-effective, technically appropriate solutions to sustain weapon systems, to modernize their capabilities, increase their lethality, address new threats, and meet operational demands. These funds also support DMEA’s ability to partner with industry, other Government agencies, and academia to enable streamlined access to a variety of microelectronics technologies and engineering services. These funds enable DMEA to provide increasingly rare government microelectronics design, fabrication, and test expertise to DoD programs. DMEA’s knowledge of varying military requirements across a broad and diverse range of combatant environments and missions—along with its unique technical perspective—allows it to develop, manage and deliver novel, decisive, quick-turn microelectronics solutions for defense, intelligence, special operations, cyber and combat missions. These funds allow DMEA to maintain and enhance critical, microelectronics design, aggregation, fabrication, post-processing, assembly, hardware assurance and analysis capabilities to ensure that the Department is provided with solutions that enable or maintain the warfighter’s technological superiority over potential adversaries. These solutions use high mix, low volume, unique microelectronics that are endemic to military requirements but are not commercially available. In addition, funding provides for the development and sustainment support necessary to ensure availability of microelectronics technologies in accordance the Department's needs and facilitates the Trusted Supplier Accreditation program required by DoDI 5200.44. DMEA will continue to manage and operate the Trusted Access Program Office (TAPO) to facilitate DoD and US Government access to state-of-the-art microelectronics manufacturers, including Trusted Foundries, for secure production runs and manufacturing and production planning for wafers, dies, and modules. DMEA will also continue to accredit trusted suppliers and leverage its designation by Secretary Austin as a Center for Industrial Technical Excellence (CITE) and continue to support small runs of DoD-critical microelectronics and semiconductors both inside and outside DoD. The CITE designation also delegates the authority to DMEA to establish Public Private Partnerships (PPP).The Department, other US Agencies, and the Intelligence Community require uninterrupted access to semiconductor processes to produce custom integrated circuits designed specifically for military purposes. DMEA, via the TAPO, partners with industry to provide the required solutions, and the necessary access to commercial SOTA microelectronics semiconductor capabilities to meet confidentiality, integrity, availability, performance and delivery needs. A critical element required to enable continued success is DMEA’s protection of the industry partners’ valuable Intellectual Property (IP). DMEA is an agile, Government-owned-and-operated organization, providing the structure and confidence necessary to assure them that commercial IP is protected from potential competitors. This strategic and cooperative industry partnership approach allows DMEA to use industry-developed IP by acquiring, installing, and applying them toward meeting the immediate and long-term needs of the Department. This unique capability is essential to all major weapon systems, combat operations, and support needs. As such, DMEA serves the Department, other US Agencies, industry and Allied nations. Programs that DMEA has recently provided critical support to include CH-53E Sea Stallion, Virginia, Class Submarines, Columbia Class Submarines, UH-60 Blackhawk, Air Force Air Combat Command, US Army Corps of Engineers, E-3 AWACS, Military GPS User Equipment, NASA Parker Solar Probe, Naval Research Laboratory High Power Microwave Office, among many others.

Accomplishments & Planned Programs (1)