Upgrading systems with new technology is the fastest method of meeting the new DOD
strategic requirements for operational systems. There are three fundamental reasons
for this:
Operational systems have proven capabilities in war performance
New systems are extraordinarily expensive to develop
New systems take a long time to get to the field
Upgrading the capabilities of systems requires an understanding of supportable technologies
past, present and future.
Recognizing that a
single spearhead was
required to globally
address the problems of
upgrading and supporting
these technologies for
all Services and all
systems, DOD established
the Defense
Microelectronics
Activity as a specially
focused government unit.
DMEA operates a
sophisticated design,
prototyping, and testing
facility supported by a
team of more than a
hundred advanced
technology specialists.
DMEA operates under the
authority of the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology
& Logistics in the Department of Defense.
An Organization Unlike Any Other
The Defense Microelectronics Activity has the expertise, the tools, and the experience
to address the growing problem of complex microelectronics issues.
DMEA has strategic vision. We make it a practice to see around corners to plan for
technological change.
Access to commercial intellectual property is essential, and we have this access.
We don’t store parts; we store the processes for making parts.
We have a reputation for meeting deadlines and staying within
budgets.
When parts are unprocurable, DMEA can produce limited quantities of the original
parts.
Our capability – flexible manufacturing that provides microelectronics support
on demand – is simply unmatched.
We have expertise in developing microelectronic technologies.
We have one-of-a-kind technological capability and highly specialized engineering
expertise to design, prototype and test new microelectronic components and systems.
The microelectronic technologies used by weapons systems are the intellectual property
of the commercial market. The DOD has a requirement to use these technologies and
also fabricate devices on the limited scale required for military uses. To do so
requires access to valuable intellectual property.
DMEA has negotiated a series of intellectual property agreements with a number of
technology providers that enables these critical requirements to be met. These agreements
allow the processes to be reproduced at DMEA’s ARMS facility and are only
possible because they are between commercial enterprises and the government.
These agreements enable a new and more efficient support paradigm for military microelectronics
– manufacturing on demand. There is no need to store massive inventories any
longer. DMEA stores processes, not parts.
