New Agreement Aims to Accelerate Application of Semiconductor Technology

BAE Systems will leverage a new strategic agreement with Intel to develop and field advanced electronics for defense applications.

The agreement will give BAE the opportunity for early access to select Intel technologies­­­ for the FAST Labs Research and Development organization within BAE Systems.

While Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) semiconductor technology has increasingly been incorporated into U.S. defense applications, military-grade technology requires domestically developed custom capabilities that go beyond commercially available technology.

BAE claims that the agreement was inspired by this development lag of customizing commercial technology that has resulted in significant time gaps between chip-level technology and defense applications being fielded.

“We are excited to extend our existing relationship with BAE Systems and look forward to working with them to protect national security, critical infrastructure, and vital information,” said Frank Ferrante, senior director of Military Aerospace and Defense Division at Intel.

“Early access to Intel’s developing technology can speed the timetable of producing defense applications and maintain our country’s technological edge,” said Chris Rappa, director at BAE Systems’ FAST Labs. “Closing the development gap – potentially by years in some cases – will deliver a critical advantage to our country.”