Northrop Grumman Quadruples US Semiconductor Output for Radars Fighters Satellites and EW Systems.

Northrop Grumman plans to quadruple semiconductor production in the United States by 2030 to expand domestic microelectronics capacity for U.S. military systems. The components support radars, electronic warfare systems, military communications, satellites, and combat aircraft by providing signal-processing and onboard control functions.

Northrop Grumman is expanding U.S. semiconductor manufacturing to increase the domestic supply of microelectronics used across several categories of military equipment. The production increase targets components embedded in radar, electronic warfare, communications, space, and combat aviation systems, where they process signals and control onboard functions. By 2030, the company expects its U.S. semiconductor output to reach four times its current level.

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A U.S. F-35B Lightning II alongside the AN/APG-81 AESA radar, one of the military systems supported by specialized semiconductor technologies used for sensing, signal processing, and electronic warfare functions.  (Picture source: US DoD/Northrop Grumman)

For the U.S. armed forces, the issue extends beyond the availability of basic electronic components. A modern radar must rapidly process signals received by its antenna, distinguish targets from background electromagnetic activity, and transmit the resulting data to other mission systems. An electronic warfare suite must detect adversary emissions, identify them and, when required, support jamming or other countermeasures. Satellites and combat aircraft perform similar processing tasks while operating under additional constraints related to weight, electrical power, temperature and available space.

In a publication released on October 2, 2026, Northrop Grumman said its U.S. production capacity is expected to increase fourfold by the end of the decade. Its Microelectronics Center includes two semiconductor foundries in California and Maryland and an advanced packaging facility in Florida, all accredited by the U.S. government. The company says it already designs, manufactures, assembles, tests, and packages several million microelectronic components each year.

Northrop Grumman's semiconductor activity directly supports military radar applications. The company produces the AN/APG-81 radar used by the F-35 Lightning II, which performs air-to-air and air-to-ground missions, synthetic aperture radar mapping, and certain electronic warfare functions. It also supplies the AN/TPS-80 Ground/Air Task Oriented Radar, or G/ATOR, to the U.S. Marine Corps. This ground-based active electronically scanned array radar can detect aircraft and determine the point of origin of rocket, artillery and mortar fire. G/ATOR uses gallium nitride, or GaN, components suited to high-power and high-frequency applications.

The company's production is not limited to conventional silicon semiconductors. Its facilities also work with gallium nitride, gallium arsenide and indium phosphide. These compound semiconductor materials are used in radio-frequency circuits for applications such as high-frequency radar, satellite communications and power amplification. At Redondo Beach in California, Northrop Grumman manufactures monolithic microwave integrated circuits for radar and telecommunications applications.

Packaging is another part of the production chain. A fabricated chip cannot be installed directly into a radar or satellite. It must be assembled, connected to other components, protected and integrated into an electronic package able to withstand the operating conditions of the military system. Northrop Grumman uses three-dimensional stacking techniques to combine multiple functions within a smaller volume. For aircraft, drones or satellites, this can allow more processing capacity to be installed without increasing weight, occupied space and power demand at the same rate.

Operationally, these microelectronics sit between the point at which a sensor receives a signal and the point at which a crew or weapon system can use the resulting information. In an AESA radar, they contribute to generating, receiving and processing electromagnetic signals. In electronic warfare equipment, they help detect and characterize emissions across the spectrum. In satellites and communications networks, they support the processing and transfer of data. On aircraft such as the F-35, these functions feed target detection, tracking, situational awareness and parts of the electronic warfare mission. Increasing domestic production capacity therefore also reduces exposure to shortages affecting components located far upstream in the military supply chain.

The U.S. defense industry does not depend on Northrop Grumman alone for these components. The Department of Defense relies on a broader network of domestic manufacturers and accredited suppliers. GlobalFoundries, for example, produces silicon semiconductors in the United States for military and aerospace applications under agreements with the Pentagon, while the Defense Microelectronics Activity oversees access to trusted suppliers and manufacturing processes for selected sensitive systems.

The broader vulnerability becomes clearer when the supply chain is considered globally. According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, around three-quarters of semiconductors were still manufactured and packaged in Asia in 2022, with some categories of logic and memory chips heavily concentrated in Taiwan and South Korea. The U.S. Department of Commerce has separately estimated that the American share of global wafer fabrication capacity fell from 37 percent in 1990 to less than 10 percent in 2024. Northrop Grumman itself has cited Taiwan's position in the semiconductor supply chain and tensions involving China among the reasons for expanding U.S. capacity.

The fourfold increase should therefore also be viewed in the context of the broader technological competition between Washington and Beijing. A crisis around Taiwan could disrupt semiconductor supply chains, affecting not only civilian computing but also aerospace, space and defense industries. Expanding domestic production of specialized semiconductors and advanced packaging does not eliminate U.S. dependence on international suppliers, as raw materials, manufacturing equipment and other components remain part of global supply networks. It does, however, reduce exposure in selected areas tied directly to radar, electronic warfare, secure communications, and military sensors, making semiconductor production an increasingly relevant part of defense industrial resilience and operational readiness.

Written By Erwan Halna du Fretay - Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Erwan Halna du Fretay holds a Master’s degree in International Relations and has experience studying conflicts and global arms transfers. His research interests include security and strategic studies, particularly the dynamics of the defense industry, the evolution of military technologies, and the strategic transformation of armed forces.