Our world runs on semiconductors. The silicon slivers are the brains of our phones, computers, cars, data centres, and stock markets. They’re also the digital backbone of modern militaries.  Some of the first chips ever made were used in missile guidance systems. Today, they power countless military devices, from fighter jets and howitzers to radios and radar. In the Russia-Ukraine war, semiconductors enable HIMARS rocket launchers, Javelin anti-tank missiles, and the Starlink communications satellites. They’re also integral to the arms race underway in East Asia, where territorial disputes in the East and South China Seas risk spiralling into a major…

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