Semiconductors 101: Computer chips shortages lead to national security concerns
Computer chips, otherwise known as semiconductors, are quickly becoming a top national security priority for the United States and foreign governments, according to an anonymous industry insider who spoke exclusively with the Fox Investigative Unit.
And they argued the stakes couldn’t be higher, to both the private sector and government bodies, when it comes to securing the supply chain of these fingernail-sized building blocks of nearly every aspect of the modern world.
“Whoever wins the race for the next generation of semiconductor products eventually will have a major military, and maybe a dominant political and economic force on the global stage,” warned the unidentified industry insider with more than a quarter century of experience in the tech and semiconductor sector(s).
They insisted during an exclusive interview with Fox News, at an undisclosed location with their face and voice disguised to protect their identity, “That’s how high the stakes are.”
Here’s the reason: semiconductors can be found inside of nearly everything digital. From cell phones, to Ford Mustangs. From home appliances, to F-35 fighter jets and critical infrastructure systems.
The gravity of recent pandemic-related semiconductor shortages, and the possible implications (including but not limited to those outlined by the whistleblower), is not lost on leaders in Washington.
“Literally everything that has an off and on switch depends on semiconductors … 90% of which are made in Asia, 63% alone are made in Taiwan,” explained Senator John Cornyn, R-Texas, co-sponsor of the $52 billion CHIPS for America Act. – READ MORE
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