China's relentless push into space technology is setting the stage for a high-stakes competition with the United States. As the space race heats up, China's rapid advancements in low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite technology are increasingly putting pressure on America's long-held supremacy.
The US Department of Defense (DoD) has selected Intel Foundry for phase three of its Rapid Assured Microelectronics Prototypes - Commercial (RAMP-C) program.
"An opening bombardment destroys most of Taiwan's navy and air force in the first hours of hostilities. Augmented by a powerful rocket force, the Chinese navy encircles Taiwan and interdicts any attempts to get ships and aircraft to the besieged island. Tens of thousands of Chinese soldiers cross the strait in a mix of military amphibious craft and civilian roll-on, roll-off ships, while air assault and airborne troops land behind the beachheads."
The Pentagon revealed that its contract to deploy Elon Musk's Starlink terminals in Ukraine is worth $23 million, finally putting a dollar figure on a deal that has embroiled one of the world's richest men in the Russia conflict — sometimes to his own chagrin.
Japanese manufacturers and the Japanese Ministry of Defense have been increasing cooperation and joint development. According to Nikkei, in the fiscal year 2023 (April 2023 to March 2024), the number of collaborative development projects between the Japanese Ministry of Defense (MoD) and private companies reached 30, more than doubling compared to the 14 projects in the fiscal year 2022. This increase is significantly higher than in previous years.
With global climate change on the rise and geopolitical risks looming, resource and energy supplies are increasingly constrained. For Taiwan, which imports 98% of its energy, strategic planning and leveraging technological capabilities are essential to swiftly adapt to challenges and ensure stable societal operations, thus averting crises stemming from resource and energy shortages.
Communications technology has long been integral to warfare, and the wartime resilience of telecommunications infrastructure is especially critical as it underpins military Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance (C4ISR) capabilities. For instance, the US Department of Defense believes that the joint force has to be commanded across all warfighting domains and throughout the electromagnetic spectrum, and a Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) was laid out to guide and implement this vision.
Intelligent Epitaxy Technology Inc (IntelliEPI), a leading provider of epitaxy service for compound semiconductors like Indium Phosphide (InP), Gallium Arsenide (GaAs), and Gallium antimonide (GaSb), has recently stated that the application for subsidies under the US CHIPS Act has passed the preliminary review and that IntelliEPI is preparing to submit formal application documents.
Compound semiconductor IDM Transcom has seen a strong pull-in of power amplifier orders for niche application markets, such as aerospace, defense, and satellites, boosting its overall operating performance.
On March 11, 2024, the US Department of Defense (DoD) revealed the Biden-Harris Administration's proposed fiscal year 2025 defense budget request totaling US$849.8 billion. In accordance with the government's 2022 Nationa Defense Strategy, the proposed budget considers defense against the "multi-domain challenge" posed by China and the building of a "resilient joint force and defense ecosystem" as two of its priorities. A total of US$143.2 billion has been proposed for the department's spending on Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation (RDT&E). The FY 2024 RDT&E budget was US$139.7 billion after Cost Reduction Adjustment, and the actual spending in FY 2023 was US$140.9 billion.
As China's National People's Congress holds its annual Two Sessions meeting, the defense budget for 2024 submitted by China's Ministry of Finance has revealed a 7.2% growth to reach CNY1.67 trillion (US$232 billion), surpassing its moderate GDP growth target set at around 5%. In the government work report delivered by China's Premier Li Qiang, the term "peaceful reunification" has been dropped, a change that was soon picked up by international media.
On the sidelines of the overarching US-China tech rivalry unfolding across multiple domains, the Mobile World Congress (MWC) Barcelona 2024 took place between Feb. 26 - 29, featuring more than 300 Chinese companies. Leading Chinese participants like Huawei, Xiaomi, Honor, and ZTE have all flaunted their innovations in AI and telecommunications. Huawei, for example, has famously launched its AI large language model (LLM) - Telecom Foundation Model - designed for telecom carriers. ZTE has also unveiled its Full-Scenario Intelligent Ecosystem 3.0 which combines Large-Scale AI Model, Big Data, and 3D technology to form a unified AI platform for all services.
Innovative Optical and Wireless Network (IOWN), an initiative for all-photonics communication infrastructure led by Japanese telecom company NTT, has gained the attention of Japan's Ministry of Defense. Back in August 2023, the Ministry of Defense established a committee to promote the utilization of next-generation communication technology and began to look into IOWN. A dedicated research institution is expected to be set up in 2024, followed by a procurement budget in 2025, making the Defense Ministry a potential major adopter of IOWN.
China Mobile, which boasts the world's largest number of mobile users, successfully launched the world's first 6G architecture test satellite recently, marking a significant milestone in exploring integrated space-ground communication technology.
The German Trade Office Taipei has released its Business Confidence Survey Report 2023/2024. The survey, conducted between November 15, 2023, and January 12, 2024, had a response rate of 39% out of the 251 contacted German businesses in Taiwan. "Even though a high degree of continuity in economic policy can be expected after January's elections, increased cross-strait tensions are seen as a growing burden," according to the report's assessment.
As the direction of the US space policy changed from 2003 on, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) gradually left the low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite sector to private industry, instead focusing on the deeper space domain with higher academic research value. This shift ushered in a new era of commercialization in the space industry. SpaceX, which currently dominates the field of LEO satellites, was founded during this period and emerged prominently only after advancements in rocket technology and a reduction in satellite manufacturing costs.
Added by the US Department of Defense to the list of Chinese military companies, Chinese LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) company Hesai Technology continues to see growing shipment volumes in 2023, along with other leading LiDAR companies in China. Chinese LiDAR companies have also been beefing up their in-house chip design efforts to prepare for a potential escalation of sanctions.
