Government systems and GaAs monolithic components

The current state of monolithic GaAs technology and its current and future applications to government systems are reviewed, with attention given to the government investment strategy, commercial market impact, new technology, and challenges from silicon technology. Data obtained from a survey to determine the status of GaAs IC technology are presented. These contain the system type and acronym, a technical description of the system, the critical research and development needed to develop the particular IC, specific applications and functions of the IC in the system, the year of implementation, and the potential chip buyer. High volume applications, with chip counts of one million and more, are identified as phased arrays (radar and communication), expendable decoys, missile seekers, and satellite signal processors. Problem areas, future trends, and areas of uncertainty are discussed.