Lt Gen Mark Weatherington
Introduction
The United States military fields a wide range of incredibly sophisticated and capable weapon systems to foster peace and global security. However the operating effectiveness of most of these systems relies on a host of small components called microelectronics, which are manufactured and supplied through a supply chain centered on the Pacific and increasingly in China. Disruption of this fragile microelectronics ecosystem would devastate our weapon systems and prove daunting to our military forces and their readiness before or during a crisis.
Microelectronics are the small electronic devices that bring many of our modern conveniences to life. Most people first think of the semiconductors and integrated circuits in their personal computer or cellular phone, but there is a remarkable diversity in the types of microelectronics and how they are used. The basic building block starts with transistors, essentially on-off switches, that can change the characteristics and performance of a device to create processors, RF sensors, memory devices, and more. Few of us likely appreciate that a modern automobile or advanced aircraft requires thousands of individual microelectronics to function.
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