The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has awarded Phase 3 of the Rapid Assured Microelectronics Prototypes – Commercial (RAMP-C) program to Intel Foundry. This means that RAMP-C customers can start manufacturing commercial and prototypes of his DIB products on Intel 18A, the company's most advanced process technology.
The third phase of RAMP-C advances tape-out and testing of early Defense Industrial Base (DIB) product prototypes and highlights the readiness of the Intel 18A process technology, intellectual property (IP), and ecosystem. This represents an important milestone in the program's “High Volume Manufacturing (HVM) Solutions,” Intel said.
Intel and the Pentagon have not disclosed the contract value, but RAMP-C is a large-scale microelectronics project that will cost the Pentagon more than $2 billion in 2024 and an additional $5.8 billion from 2025 to 2027, according to McKinsey. It is said to be part of a development program. & Company report released last month.
“Today marks another important moment in our collaboration with the Department of Defense on this program,” said Kapil, vice president of Foundry Services and general manager of Intel's Government Engagement and Business Operations Group. Wadera said. “We are very excited that for the first time in decades, customers in the U.S. government and defense industrial base will have access to the industry's most advanced process technology at the same time as commercial customers. further strengthens America's leadership in process technology research and development, advanced manufacturing, and microelectronic systems by strengthening our commitment to making our capabilities, including cutting-edge technologies such as .”
The RAMP-C program aims to restore the nation's leadership in cutting-edge semiconductors by encouraging the creation of a sustainable, resilient and trusted commercial foundry ecosystem in the United States. The program will enable his U.S.-based DIB and commercial customers to manufacture cutting-edge custom integrated circuits needed for critical Department of Defense systems and commercial products.
The award was announced through the National Security Technology Accelerator (NSTXL) consortium-based Strategic and Spectrum Missions Advanced Resilient Trusted Systems Other Transaction Authority (S2MARTS OTA) program.
In 2021, Intel was selected to lead the first phase of RAMP-C. RAMP-C laid the foundation for Intel's foundry business by establishing technology and yield plans, developing IP and ecosystem tools, and preparing customers for test chip tapeout. In Phase 2, we continued to strengthen our IP and ecosystem solutions while expanding our RAMP-C customer base by onboarding Boeing and Northrop Grumman to design, develop, and tape out solutions based on Intel 18A. Phase 3 will begin the tapeout phase of extensive test chips and multiple commercial and DIB product prototypes using new IP and ecosystem tools based on Intel 18A.
“RAMP-C is a key project for the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Microelectronics Research and Engineering because it provides access to cutting-edge Intel 18A technology on land that is critical to the security of U.S. military systems and platforms. RAMP-C project executor Intel Foundry has achieved milestones and metrics for Phase 2 of the project, and the Navy Crane R&E program recently received funding to begin Phase 3 efforts. Managed through the U.S. National Defense Agency and conducted over-the-air with NSTXL, RAMP-C keeps the Department of Defense on the cutting edge of microelectronics technology while fostering closer collaboration between the defense industrial base and commercial enterprises. We plan to demonstrate prototype production of the Intel 18A chip in 2025, delivering unprecedented processing performance to the Department of Defense,” said Dr. Deb Shenoy, Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering and Principal Director for Microelectronics.
Under RAMP-C, Intel Foundry is collaborating with companies such as Microsoft, Nvidia, IBM, Cadence, Synopsys, Boeing, and Northrop Grumman to establish and demonstrate semiconductor support for commercial and U.S. government support for integrated circuit design and manufacturing. We have supported your needs. IP ecosystem for developing and manufacturing test chips on Intel 18A. Intel Foundry also established the U.S. Military, Aerospace, and Government (USMAG) Alliance, comprised of ecosystem partners across electronic design automation (EDA), IP, and design service providers, to work with DIB customers to support Intel Foundry Provides the necessary functional and operational security for USMAG applications using Technology and products.