DoD names RRFC as 'trusted foundry'

ANDOVER, Mass., Aug. 28 (UPI) -- Raytheon Radio Frequency Components has been certified as a U.S. Department of Defense Category 1 Trusted Foundry.

The certification was awarded by the U.S. National Security Administration's Trusted Access Program Office, Raytheon announced in a statement Monday.

"The agency's Category 1 designation, the highest awarded by the Department of Defense, recognizes Raytheon's support of defense systems vital to mission effectiveness or operational readiness of deployed or contingency forces, and indicates that the loss or degradation of these systems results in immediate and sustained loss of effectiveness," the company said.

"This accreditation reflects our capability to provide the stringent protection measures required by the National Security Administration for gallium arsenide -- GaAs -- and gallium nitride -- GaN -- foundries," said Mark Russell, vice president of engineering for Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems.

The NSA describes trust as "the confidence in one's ability to secure national security systems by assessing the integrity of the people and processes used to design, generate and distribute national security critical components."

"Accreditation granted by the Trusted Access Program Office follows a stringent review and is a significant endorsement of RRFC's security processes," the Raytheon statement said.

Raytheon described the RRFC as a "strategic asset" for the company. "The RRFC is a leader in compound semiconductor technology, products and foundry services for military applications. The RRFC designs, develops and manufactures GaAs and GaN monolithic microwave integrated circuits -- MMICs -- and modules for Raytheon's advanced radar, electronic warfare, communications and weapon systems," the company said.