Array
(
    [content] => 
    [params] => Array
        (
            [0] => /forum/index.php?threads/chips-act-should-an-investment-not-a-grant.16276/page-2
        )

    [addOns] => Array
        (
            [DL6/MLTP] => 13
            [Hampel/TimeZoneDebug] => 1000070
            [SV/ChangePostDate] => 2010200
            [SemiWiki/Newsletter] => 1000010
            [SemiWiki/WPMenu] => 1000010
            [SemiWiki/XPressExtend] => 1000010
            [ThemeHouse/XLink] => 1000970
            [ThemeHouse/XPress] => 1010570
            [XF] => 2021370
            [XFI] => 1050270
        )

    [wordpress] => /var/www/html
)

Chips act should an investment, not a grant

I'm unfamiliar with US DoD procurement policies, but I wasn't aware that every part of every weapon system had to be made in the US. For the B21, for example, the productions volumes are so low (hundreds of planes, at most) that it would be easy to buy enough chips or even assemblies for the entire lifetime of the electronics. What are the actual procurement policies?
They don't have to be all made in US but DoD prefers those critical components to be made in US. Semiconductor is one of their top priority. DoD has the Trusted Foundry program in place for many years to certify US domestic IC suppliers (see: https://www.dmea.osd.mil/TrustedIC.aspx). But due to the advancement of technology, cost, availability, and various reasons, TSMC has been an unofficial trusted foundry for several years, despite TSMC doesn't make leading edge products in the US.

This is why DoD wants to bring TSMC leading edge manufacturing to Arizona. Yes, they can preorder a large quantity for ongoing manufacturing and maintenance purpose. They did it several times by buying Xilinx's FPGAs for F35 fighter program that is in the high rate production. But there are several active DoD and DOE projects under development, from their point of view, better to have TSMC to make those needed chips on the US soil.
 
We can debate what is wise use of taxpayer dollars until we are blue in the face, but there is the simple fact that the presence of any large industrial manufacturing operation provides a continuing source of tax dollars to the community/state/country. That is the return on "investment" in the form of grants/tax incentives. I don't want the government to be a shareholder.
 
Back
Top