The DoD selects Microsoft for Rapid Assured Microelectronics Prototypes (RAMP) chip project

The Department of Defence has announced that it has selected Microsoft for the second phase of its Rapid Assured Microelectronics Prototypes (RAMP) using Advanced Commercial Capabilities project.

The goal of the project is to bring state-of-the-art microelectronic design and manufacturing to national security and defence applications while still ensuring these components are developed with the utmost regard for security.

Currently, the security requirements associated with developing microelectronics have limited the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DoD) ability to leverage the latest innovations.

Microsoft previously led a coalition of partners in collaborating with the DoD on the first phase of this initiative: to develop design capabilities that achieve the department’s mission priorities. In this second phase, Microsoft and their partners will build on these successful designs and begin to develop custom integrated chips and System on a Chip (SoC) designs using a secure, collaborative design flow that provides access to advanced manufacturing processes. These new designs will achieve lower power consumption, improved performance, reduced physical size, and improved reliability for application in DoD systems.

The RAMP solution will provide an advanced microelectronics development platform for mission-critical applications, with cloud, AI, and machine learning-enabled automation, security, and quantifiable assurance. By leveraging cloud-based secure design capabilities, RAMP will expand the number of foundries available to DoD, enhance resiliency, and foster growth of the domestic semiconductor supply chain.

Microsoft will be working with microelectronics industry leaders across the commercial and defense industrial base (DIB) including Ansys, Applied Materials, Inc., BAE Systems, Battelle Memorial Institute, Cadence Design Systems, Cliosoft, Inc., Flex Logix, GlobalFoundries, Intel Federal, Raytheon Intelligence and Space, Siemens EDA, Synopsys, Inc., Tortuga Logic, and Zero ASIC Corporation.

This solution will be hosted in Azure Government, offering the broadest range of commercial innovation for governments with services available across all U.S. data classifications.

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