Report of Defense Science Board Task Force on Defense Semiconductor Dependency

U.S. defense strategy relies upon technologically superior weapons to overcome the numerical advantage of our adversaries. Our capability to field technologically superior weapons may soon, however, be dangerously diminished. The superiority of U.S. defense systems of all types is directly dependent upon superior electronics, a force multiplier which not only enhances the performance of the weapons themselves, but also maximizes the efficiency of their application upon which much of our defense strategy and capabilities are built. The United States has historically been the technological in electronics. However, superiority in the application of innovation no longer exists and the relative stature of our technology base in this area is steadily deteriorating. As evidenced by market share and the perception of the technical and financial communities, the United States' semiconductor device and related upstream industries, such as those that supply silicon materials or processing equipment, are losing the commercial and technical leadership they have historically held in important aspects of process technology and manufacturing, as well as product design and innovation.