Physics / mechanism
Aerospace & Defense (A&D) spans military platforms, satellites, launch vehicles, avionics, and defense electronics. Scope: ~$900B global market (2024), dominated by Lockheed Martin, RTX, Northrop Grumman, BAE Systems, Airbus Defence. Key parameters: SWaP (size, weight, power), radiation hardness, MTBF >100,000 hrs, operating range −55°C to +125°C. The semiconductor content per platform is rising sharply—modern fighter jets carry 3,000+ chips; LEO satellites run custom ASICs for comms and EO/IR processing. Export control regimes (ITAR/EAR) heavily gate supply chains. GaN-on-SiC dominates radar/EW RF front-ends; SiC and GaN-on-Diamond are emerging for power electronics. Photonic sensing (LIDAR, LADAR, SWIR imaging) is becoming standard in ISR payloads.
Competitive landscape
Commercial aerospace competes for engineering talent and fab capacity with defense; civil avionics (DO-254/DO-178C qualified) overlaps significantly. Adjacent segments: space (LEO/MEO/GEO satellites), autonomous systems (UAS, loitering munitions), and hypersonics. Key technology substitution battles:
| Domain | Incumbent | Challenger |
|---|---|---|
| RF front-end | GaN-on-SiC | GaN-on-Diamond, InP |
| Power conversion | Si IGBT | SiC MOSFET |
| Optical sensing | InGaAs APD | GeSn, SWIR SiPh |
Companies using
Connected ideas
Sources
Frontier (open questions)
- To be added.