DARPA Seeks Innovation – In-House

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The U.S. military researchers’ initiative to develop secure integrated circuit technology for trusted computing applications, ranging from manufacturing to systems integration goes on. Sources in the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) have recently claimed that a solicitation has been published for the Electronics Resurgence Initiative: Defense Applications (ERI:DA).
This project is one of several under the second phase of the DARPA Electronics Resurgence Initiative. DARPA briefed industry on the ERI-DA initiative in December. The project seeks to develop revolutionary national defense capabilities that capitalize on technologies developed in existing ERI thrusts – support domestic secure integrated circuits manufacturing; invest in chip security; and demonstrate new technologies for defense applications. DARPA officials say they want to promote teaming arrangements between organizations that can move electronics innovations rapidly into military hardware.
DARPA researchers say they’re especially looking for new ways to influence existing or emerging U.S. military programs. DARPA anticipates several contract awards, with the total available funding moving between $35-50 million.
According to militaryaerospace.com’s report, the project builds on existing programs to help support domestic semiconductor manufacturing processes that can help defense electronics systems integrators implement specialized circuits.
DARPA researchers are looking for ways to apply new electronics innovations to machine autonomy and artificial intelligence (AI); cyber security and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR).
The project has three technical areas (TAs), each of which will forge partnerships among defense companies, commercial companies, and academia. TA 1 is for immediate development of technologies between one or more current program performers and an organization that can deliver military technologies. TA 2 is for companies without established relationships with ERI performers, and focuses on identifying partnerships and plans to develop and use ERI technology in a clearly defined defense capability. TA 3 involves infrastructure like facilities and personnel to enable collaboration among defense companies, the government, existing ERI performers, and other science and technology organizations.