{"id":16673,"date":"2018-05-22T15:50:37","date_gmt":"2018-05-22T15:50:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2018\/05\/22\/the-risks-facing-the-pentagons-high-end-electronics-and-radars\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T17:44:54","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T17:44:54","slug":"the-risks-facing-the-pentagons-high-end-electronics-and-radars","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/pentagon\/2018\/05\/22\/the-risks-facing-the-pentagons-high-end-electronics-and-radars\/","title":{"rendered":"The risks facing the Pentagon\u2019s high-end electronics and radars"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2015 A new Pentagon report warns that the supply chain for high-end electronics and rare materials is increasingly at risk, likely putting radar and electronic warfare capabilities in danger as the Department of Defense relies more on these items.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among the concerns highlighted by the annual industrial capabilities report from the Pentagon\u2019s Office of Manufacturing and Industrial Base Policy is how to make sure the supply of key electronics components is always available to meet department demands. The report was quietly released on a department website May 17. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Part of the challenge for the department is the reality that it has \u201climited leverage\u201d to influence the electronics industry<\/a>, as global military production represents only 6 percent of the overall market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RELATED: America\u2019s industrial base is at risk, and the military may feel the consequences<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

While DoD can drive other areas in certain directions through research and development funding \u2013 for instance, pushing for hypersonics<\/a> by investing heavily in that sector and offering the dream of large contracts in the near-future for industry partners who play along \u2013 the electronics sector has too many larger, less difficult clients it wants to please to be swayed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, the ability of DoD to assure its microelectronics are not compromised is \u201cincreasingly difficult,\u201d thanks to the global nature of production on these vital parts. For instance, the printed circuit board market hit $60 billion in 2015, so there should be plenty of suppliers for the department.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But half of that market is owned by Chinese firms and the U.S. share is down to around 5 percent, the report said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead, DoD is investing in domestic microelectronics production through the Manufacturing USA initiative<\/a>; it has also launched a Microelectronic Innovation for National Security and Economic Competitiveness strategy to try and find solutions to the reliance on internationally-produced goods. But how much impact such programs can have remains unclear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RELATED: The US is running out of bombs \u2014 and it may soon struggle to make more<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many of the challenges identified in the electronics sector are reflected in the radars and EW industrial base, including sourcing of high-end components. But there is a specific concern about innovation and competition for tactical active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Right now, the department has 17 radar programs in procurement, five programs in development, and 73 programs in sustainment. Of those, Raytheon (five procurement, two development, 19 sustainment), Northrop Grumman (six procurement, 13 sustainment) and Lockheed Martin (one procurement, one development, 16 sustainment) dominate the market.<\/p>\n\n\n\t