(January 6, 2009) PRINCETON, N.J— In a move to safeguard its military microcircuit supply against obsolete, counterfeit, or Trojan horse microcircuits, the Department of Defense (DoD) has contracted with Sarnoff Corp. to enhance its existing microcircuit reverse engineering capabilities used for remanufacturing obsolete military quality microcircuits. The $1.6 M, two-year DoD contract falls under the Industrial Base Innovation Fund (IBIF), and is sponsored by the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA and the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), Ft. Belvoir, VA.
According to the agreement, Sarnoff’s microcircuit reverse engineering capabilities will be integrated into DLA’s Advanced Microcircuit Emulation (AME) Program. The technology recreates the incomplete or missing design data necessary to remanufacture or emulate the microcircuit. The same techniques will also be used to support certifications regarding the trustworthiness of microcircuits entering the military supply chain from non-U.S. manufacturing locations as directed by the DoD.
“Obsolete, counterfeit or ‘Trojan horse’ microcircuits can adversely impact the military electronics supply chains,” said Don Newsome, Ph.D. president and CEO of Sarnoff Corp. “With Sarnoff microcircuit emulation technology, the DoD can assure the warfighter a safe and reliable long-term source of microcircuits.”