Should components for military use be made in a dedicated secure facility?

That’s the basic thinking behind a $3.5 billion allocation by the US government to support an undisclosed chipmaker, presumably Intel, to develop a classified advanced semiconductor development project. The monies at the root of the issue touched off yet another question, that is, whether Chips Act funds were misused when routed to the so-called Secure Enclave program.

The Chips Act, of course, is the foundational legislation upon which the US strategy of reclaiming semiconductor manufacturing dominance is built.

Years ago, the major semiconductor foundries, including Intel, Motorola and others, had designated government segments. Their demise more or less concluded with the rollout of new defense procurement policies, now known as the Perry Initiative.

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