DOD Awards $39.9 Million to Strengthen U.S. Supply Chains for Printed Circuit Boards
The Department of Defense has granted Calumet Electronics Corporation a $39.9 million award through the Defense Production Act Investment (DPAI) Program to bolster its capacity for producing High-Density Build-Up (HDBU) substrates, which encompass High-Density Interconnect Printed Circuit Board (PrCB) cores and HDBU build-up layers. Dr. Laura Taylor-Kale, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy, emphasized the Biden Administration's commitment to supporting the domestic PrCB and advanced packaging industrial base, considering these technologies crucial for modern weapons systems and maintaining a competitive edge against potential adversaries. The funding will allow Calumet to expand its engineering, tooling, and manufacturing operations for HDBU substrates, vital for sixth-generation systems such as radar, electronic warfare, processing, and communications. This award is part of the DPAI Program's efforts in 2023, which has made 22 awards totalling $714 million to date, overseen by the ASD(IBP)’s Manufacturing Capability Expansion and Investment Program (MCEIP).