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82 PCB007 MAGAZINE I AUGUST 2025 A M E R I CA N M A D E A DVO CACY Where's the Budget for a Modern Military Run on Microelectronics? by Shane W hiteside, Summit Interc onne ct In a world of peer threats and urgent transformation, having secure, trusted, and reliable microelectronics is non-negotia- ble. While largely hidden, micro- electronics are the ubiquitous enablers of modern defense platforms. Nothing in the current American arsenal flies, floats, or fights without a technology stack that includes a semiconductor, an integrated circuit substrate, and a printed circuit board. The current administration is rightly emphasizing an American manufacturing renaissance, but this lofty rhetoric is not matched by the FY2026 defense budget. The microelectronics budget is anemic and the line for micro- electronics in the Defense Pro- duction Act is zero. This is con- cerning given the urgent need to replenish American defense stockpiles and equip our allies as they face active conflict. These dual objectives require sound policy and sustained bud- getary support. That is needed to scale up our industry and deliver smart munitions, missile defense systems, UAVs, and next-generation aircraft. Policies are easier to create than budgets, but the two must align or we get nowhere. After decades of offshoring, few American companies are left to meet the accelerating need for PCBs and other micro- electronics. Today, nine out of 10 PCBs originate in Asia. While low-tech commercial boards can remain overseas, those aren't the PCBs that absolutely must be made in the U.S. Recent media reports reveal that Chinese com- ponents are showing up in even