Microelectronics Technology Development and Support (DMEA)
Abstract
The Defense Microelectronics Activity (DMEA) provides a vital service as the joint Department of Defense (DoD) Center for microelectronics acquisition, adaptive operations and support - advancing future microelectronics research, development, technologies and applications to achieve the Department’s strategic and national security objectives. An important part of the DMEA mission is to research current and emerging microelectronics issues with a focus on warfighters’ needs. To this end, DMEA is integrally involved in the development of capabilities and resultant products based on technologies whose feasibility has been demonstrated but which have yet to be applied to real-world and military applications. DMEA resolves microelectronics technology issues in weapon systems by quickly developing and executing appropriate solutions to not only keep a system operational but elevate it to the next level of sophistication or to meet new threats. DMEA provides critical microelectronics design and fabrication skills to ensure that the DoD is provided with systems capable of ensuring technological superiority over potential adversaries. DMEA provides critical, quick turn solutions for DoD, intelligence, special operations, cyber and combat missions as well as microelectronic parts that are unobtainable in the commercial market. 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 implement novel microelectronic solutions to enhance mission capability. DMEA can then utilize these cutting-edge technology capabilities and products in the solutions it develops for its military clientele. After many years of performing analogous efforts, the technical experience, mission knowledge, and practical judgment that are gained from preceding efforts are often incorporated into subsequent technology maturation projects. Microelectronics technology is clearly a vital and essential technology for all operations within the DoD. Yet, as critical as this technology is to DoD operations, the defense microelectronics market share is now less than 0.1% because the use of microelectronics has exploded in the commercial world. This commercial pressure is driving the semiconductor industry to supersede successive generations of microelectronics technologies with new technologies every 18 months or sooner. Due to intense business pressures, the semiconductor industry does not respond to the DoD’s particular needs of ultra-low volumes, extended availability timeframes, or substantial security concerns. This has caused many commercial semiconductor facilities to close their doors or move off-shore to unsecure locations. Such intense commercial pressures make it impossible to assure that the current DoD suppliers will be available to satisfy the future DoD requirements. Therefore, DMEA has established a unique-in-the-world flexible integrated circuit manufacturing capability that provides microelectronics design, development, and manufacturing support on demand. DMEA produces limited quantities of components to meet the DoD’s unique weapon system needs for a trusted, assured, and secure supply of microelectronics. This unique capability is essential to all major weapon systems, combat operations, and support needs. As such, DMEA serves the DoD, other US Agencies, industry and Allied nations.
Document Details
- Document Type
- R2 Budgetary Justification
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2012
- Source ID
- 0603720S_3_0400_PB_2012
- Change Summary Explanation
- FY 2010 Congressional Adds: $44.287M FY 2012 Departmental Fiscal Guidance Reduction: $ .024M FY2012 Defense Efficiency - Civilian Pay Raise Reduction: $ .757M FY2012 Defense Efficiency - Service Support Contractors Reduction: $ .026M FY 2012 Enhancements 90nm Next Generation Foundry Program: 30.000M FY 2012 Enhancements Trusted Foundry Program: 34.539M The increase to the FY 2012-2016 Research, Development, Test and Evaluation (RDT&E) budget for PE0603720S is due to the 90nm Next Generation Foundry program, a newly-approved Program issue, as well as the Trusted Foundry program transfer of OSD PE 0605140D8Z.
- Service Agency Name
- Defense Logistics Agency
Entities
Organizations
- Defense Logistics Agency
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