Following The NATO Summit in Ankara on 7-8 July 2026, defence readiness is back in focus. Much of that discussion centres on capability, capacity and availability. But modern defence systems also depend on electronics that must remain reliable, supportable and available over long service lives.
Here, Ross Turnbull, Director of Business Development and Product Engineering at application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) specialist Swindon Silicon Systems, explains why semiconductor strategy should be considered early in defence electronics design.
At the NATO Summit Defence Industry Forum, more than USD 50 billion in new procurements were announced, including deep precision strike capabilities, integrated air and missile defence, uncrewed systems and cutting-edge technologies. European Allies and Canada increased core defence investment by more than USD 139 billion in 2025 alone, a nearly 20 per cent rise year on year. But this level of investment is not without consequence, as the defence supply chain will become strained and electronics suppliers in particular face growing pressure to scale up production within increasingly compressed timeframes.
Electronics at the core of modern defence
Semiconductors are fundamental to both economic resilience and national security, underpinning technologies from everyday infrastructure to advanced systems across the defence sector. They play a central role in enabling modern capabilities, yet the supply chains that support them remain complex, globally distributed and inherently vulnerable to disruption.
These considerations are not abstract; they manifest directly in the capabilities of modern defence platforms. Radar, electronic warfare, secure communications, sensor interfaces, navigation systems, platform control and power management all rely on semiconductor devices and mixed-signal electronics. As platforms become more sensor-rich and software-defined, the reliability of the underlying electronics becomes increasingly consequential. Getting the semiconductor strategy right early in a programme is not a second-order consideration, it is foundational.
Reliability from the start
A common limitation in defence electronics design is treating reliability as something demonstrated at final qualification rather than built into the architecture from the outset. The question is not simply whether components pass tests at delivery. Defence systems operate in environments that include vibration, shock, moisture, wide temperature ranges and sustained electromagnetic stress.
This is particularly important when considering how defence electronics are qualified for real-world use. MIL-STD-810H makes this clear: environmental design and test criteria should be tailored to the actual conditions a system will encounter, rather than applied as a generic compliance exercise. Passing a standardised test alone does not guarantee robustness in service. Reliability must instead be engineered into the architecture, packaging and manufacturing from the outset.
One approach that supports this is the use of an ASIC. Where functions are stable, performance-critical or supportability-sensitive, a custom IC can offer advantages over discrete implementations.
For example, in an active electronically scanned array radar system, functions such as phase shifting, gain control, signal conditioning and interface logic have traditionally been implemented across multiple components and interconnects. Consolidating these into a single characterised device reduces component count and board-level interfaces, reducing interconnects and potential failure points. It also gives design engineers greater control over electrical behaviour between functions, rather than relying on interactions between separate devices.
Reducing component count also influences thermal and electrical behaviour. Fewer components reduce the number of heat sources, while characterising behaviour within a single device can improve predictability at system level. This does not guarantee improved thermal performance, but reducing independent variables is a recognised way to achieve more consistent and verifiable outcomes.
Build consistency is equally important. Fielded systems, spares and later production runs must remain aligned. An integrated device characterises behaviour in one place rather than across multiple components, simplifying design, test and long-term support.
Lifecycle planning as part of reliability
Defence platforms are typically designed for service lives of 20 to 30 years, often longer. However, commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components can reach end-of-life before that timeframe is up, as manufacturers tend to discontinue parts according to their own commercial cycles rather than the operational lifespan of the platforms they’re used in. This gap is where obsolescence challenges emerge.
When a component is discontinued, impacts extend beyond procurement to redesign, requalification, updated documentation and programme disruption. Semiconductor selection is therefore not simply a late-stage purchasing decision, but a design choice with long-term operational consequences.
Custom IC programmes can help address this by enabling controlled revisions, documented equivalence and stable interfaces alongside long-term supply planning. For platforms facing obsolescence or refresh requirements, a custom device can preserve existing interfaces while consolidating functionality, reducing the scope of redesign. This does not remove all challenges, but it can make them more manageable.
Qualification must also reflect real operating conditions. MIL-STD-810H emphasises tailoring environmental criteria to actual lifecycle usage. For defence systems, this includes storage, transport, vibration, power cycling, maintenance intervals and extended dormant periods. Demonstrating compliance with a test plan alone does not guarantee sustained performance in service.
As the Ankara summit focuses attention on defence spending and capability, the engineering conversation must run in parallel. Increased investment will only translate into sustained readiness if the electronics within systems are designed, qualified and supported over the long term.
For system designers and programme teams, this means treating semiconductor strategy not as a downstream procurement issue, but as part of the architecture from the outset. In modern defence systems, readiness increasingly begins below system level.
Learn more about Swindon’s full turnkey ASIC development approach for defence systems and enquire about an initial no-obligation discussion by visiting the website.
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