Intel completes RAMP-C defense chip program on 18A process

Intel Foundry announced completion of RAMP-C, a US Department of Defense program launched in 2021 that paid Nvidia and other companies to run test chips on Intel's 18A process, aimed at establishing a secure domestic path for leading-edge chip manufacturing.

Why it matters: This is a milestone in the US push to reduce reliance on Taiwan for advanced chip manufacturing, with direct relevance to AI hardware given Nvidia's role as a test partner. It fits a broader pattern of AI compute being treated as a national security asset, alongside moves like restricting Chinese equipment in military-adjacent data centers.