Northrop Grumman Opens Access to U.S. Semiconductor Facilities

BALTIMORE, Md. – Sept. 18, 2025 – Northrop Grumman’s Microelectronics Center has opened its doors to external aerospace and defense companies, permitting access to the company’s three U.S. government-accredited semiconductor manufacturing facilities. This initiative aims to bolster the secure production of defense microelectronics within U.S. borders.

The open-access business model enables:

• External entities, such as commercial businesses, aerospace and defense companies, the U.S. Government, academia, and federally funded research and development centers, to design, manufacture, package, and test microelectronics domestically for both commercial and defense applications.
• Access to comprehensive U.S.-based advanced packaging facilities, ensuring reliable semiconductor design, post-processing, assembly, and testing for current and emerging technologies.
• The opportunity to purchase Northrop Grumman-produced semiconductor products and components through an online storefront.

Expert Insight:

Vern Boyle, Vice President of the Northrop Grumman Microelectronics Center, remarked, “By opening our defense-grade manufacturing facilities to partners, Northrop Grumman is expanding and strengthening the resilience of America’s semiconductor industry and supply chain. We are providing partners with unprecedented access to design and develop domestic chips as well as the ability to directly purchase from us, enhancing collaboration across the broader defense industrial base.”

Northrop Grumman’s microchips serve dual-use purposes, supporting both the Defense Industrial Base (DIB) and commercial applications at scale. (Photo Credit: Northrop Grumman)

About Northrop Grumman’s Microelectronics Center:

Northrop Grumman’s Microelectronics Center consists of three manufacturing locations: two U.S. government-accredited semiconductor foundries in California and Maryland, along with an advanced packaging facility in Florida. The advanced packaging facility is equipped for 100mm-300mm wafer bumping, probing, and dicing, allowing multiple smaller, specialized chips to be integrated into a single, more powerful electronics package. This method contrasts with traditional approaches by utilizing high-density connections to form a 3D chip stack, meeting the demands of next-generation devices.

According to industry research, over 98% of advanced packaging requirements are currently outsourced, exposing vulnerabilities to global disruptions. Northrop Grumman stands among the few defense enterprises capable of providing chip packaging services domestically.

Northrop Grumman actively designs, manufactures, assembles, tests, and packages millions of microelectronics annually, which support next-generation defense and commercial systems within the United States. This effort is essential for ensuring a protected and sustainable American supply chain, thus enhancing national defense infrastructure. The company’s mission-tailored microelectronics underpin the intelligence required for modern military and commercial systems, critical for mission success.

With a workforce of nearly 100,000 and over 30 million square feet of manufacturing space—equating to more than 500 football fields—Northrop Grumman demonstrates capacity and agility to spur innovation at extraordinary rates. Their manufacturing methodologies not only yield products but also streamline the overall process from design and development to production and testing. Significant investments have been made in U.S. infrastructure, research and development, workforce, and supply chains to meet current and future national security needs.

As a leading global aerospace and defense technology company, Northrop Grumman is committed to equipping its customers with the essential capabilities to connect and protect the world while pushing the boundaries of human exploration across the cosmos. Driven by a collective mission to tackle complex challenges, the company’s employees continuously redefine the realm of what is possible.

Source: Northrop Grumman (2025-09-18T12:00:00Z)