Intel Completes RAMP-C Defense Program, Paving Way for Domestic Advanced Chip Production on 18A
Intel Foundry has completed the RAMP-C program, a U.S. defense initiative awarded in 2021 to establish a secure domestic leading-edge chip ecosystem on its 18A process. The program funded commercial and defense partners including Nvidia, Microsoft, IBM, Qualcomm, Boeing, and Northrop Grumman to run test chips on an immature design kit, providing Intel with power, performance, area, and cost (PPAC) data. Completion signals readiness for external customers to fabricate real products, potentially using the Intel Secure Enclave manufacturing flow, which RAMP-C helped shape. The Secure Enclave follow-on program is worth up to $3 billion and was finalized alongside Intel's $7.86 billion CHIPS Act award in November 2024. Intel Foundry reported $293 million in external revenue last quarter against a $2.1 billion operating loss. Fortinet was named the first publicly disclosed external foundry customer, building its security processor on Intel 4 rather than 18A.
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