Microsoft to build custom chips for the US military
US military wants to leverage the latest industry innovations
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
The US National Security Technology Accelerator (NSTXL) has selectedMicrosoftandQualcommto build custom chips for the US military, the government agency announced Thursday - part of its efforts to ensure that the US Department of Defense (DoD) has home-grown access to the latest chip-making tech.
Microsoftexplains that historically the security requirements associated with developing microelectronics for the military have limited the ability of the DoD to leverage the latest innovations.
This program - called Rapid Assured Microelectronics Prototypes (RAMP) - is meant to “leverage commercial best practices to help accelerate the development process and bring reliable, secure state-of-the-art microelectronic design and manufacturing to national security and defense applications.”
Earlier in August, NSTXL had awarded a similar contract to chipmakersInteland Qualcomm, as part ofRAMP-Commercial (RAMP-C) program.
Defense supply chain
Microsoft explains that DoD hopes to leverage the RAMP project to employ a scalable microelectronic supply chain, while ensuring that the design and manufacturing meets its security and compliance requirements.
As part of its role in the second phase of the RAMP project, Microsoft has engaged several microelectronics partners across the commercial and defense industrial base, including BAE Systems, Cadence Design Systems, GlobalFoundries, Siemens EDA, Raytheon Intelligence and Space, and others.
Without sharing any details about the chips that’ll be designed in this phase, Microsoft says the objective with the new designs is to help lower power consumption, improve performance, reduce physical size, and improve their reliability for use in DoD systems.
Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter
Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed!
“The RAMP solution will provide an advanced microelectronics development platform for mission-critical applications, withcloud,AI[artificial intelligence], andmachine learning-enabled automation, security, and quantifiable assurance,”sharedMicrosoft, adding that it will host the solution inAzure Government.
With almost two decades of writing and reporting on Linux, Mayank Sharma would like everyone to think he’sTechRadar Pro’sexpert on the topic. Of course, he’s just as interested in other computing topics, particularly cybersecurity, cloud, containers, and coding.
7 myths about email security everyone should stop believing
Best Usenet client of 2024
Smeg Combi Steam Oven review: a multi-functional countertop oven that looks stunning and cooks well
