Posted on 05/28/2012 6:44:41 PM PDT by neverdem
Counterfeit electronics and military hardware risks American lives
It would be reasonable to expect the United States military contractors building the aircraft our military uses to defend the nation to be absolutely sure electronics they use in the aircraft are legitimate and don't suffer from any security issues. However, a Senate report indicates that this not always the case. The Senate Armed Services Committee issued a report documenting the year-long investigation launched by Democratic Chairman Carl Levin and ranking Republican John McCain into counterfeit Chinese electronics in military aircraft.
The report spans 112 pages shows that 1,800 cases of bogus counterfeit parts were discovered during the investigation. The counterfeit Chinese parts were discovered in the Air Force's largest cargo plane, helicopters used by special ops soldiers, and Navy surveillance aircraft.
Levin said, "[The report] outlines how this flood of counterfeit parts, overwhelmingly from China, threatens national security, the safety of our troops and American jobs."
“It underscores China’s failure to police the blatant market in counterfeit parts — a failure China should rectify,” he continued.
The Senate report also notes that the Chinese government wouldn't issue visas to Senate committee staff that wanted to travel to Asia as part of the investigation. Defense News reports that one Chinese embassy official said the issue was sensitive and a negative report could damage relations between the United States and China.
While the source of the counterfeit electronics was overwhelmingly determined to be China, the report does say that contractors and other authorities in the United States are partly to blame for failing to detect fake parts and routinely failing to report suspected counterfeit goods.
Among the fake and counterfeit parts the investigation discovered were Electromagnetic Interference Filters that were used in night missions and in the operation of military arms such as the Hellfire missile used on certain Navy helicopters. Counterfeit memory chips were also found in the display systems used by the C-17 Globemaster III and the C-130J military cargo aircraft. Additional counterfeit parts were discovered in refurbished ice detection modules on the Navy P-8A Poseidon used for anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare by the Navy.
The SAS first mentioned the problem of counterfeit electronics and military hardware last year.
Source: Defense News
Have backdoors?
When buying obsolete components (thank you RoHS) there is a full 40% that are obtained from “brokers” who specialize in these sorts of things. There are always the risks of counterfeit components. Sometimes there is no RoHS compliant successor device
Conservatives raised heck about farming out defense manufacturing to foreign enemies back when Clintoon was in office giving military secrets to China. We were told by the citizens of the world (in both parties) that China was our best friend...just like we are being told now that the Muslim Brotherhood is our best friend.
We have the stupidest elite ever cursed upon a Nation. Globalism is a death pact.
brought this up last week...
got ridiculed by some tard here on FR
(the number of progressive infiltrators on FR has drastically increased during the last few years)
In 1960`s - 1970`s Chips and transistors sold to military/contractors had to have a paper trail to the U.S. factory with a telecom verbal ok and 2 sealed lot samples were required to be sent back to the U.S. factory for confirmation of genuineness. Looks like they have changed the rules in the DD Pentagon.
Happens to everybody in the industry sooner or later. I experienced this first hand back in 2007 buying chips; power MOSFETS, through a broker. One problem is that fab houses do limited runs on chips, particularly VISHAY. The manufacturers themselves will sometimes hold some in reserve which they then sell for inflated prices. Same thing with brokers. When a hard to find popular part suddenly becomes available it turns into a feeding frenzy and frequently a crapshoot.
It is my principle beef with "the greatest generation." When they passed power on to the boomers, they did not sort out those with guts, initiative, creativity and willingess to work hard from the suck-up gimme children of the '60's.
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Some noteworthy articles about politics, foreign or military affairs, IMHO, FReepmail me if you want on or off my list.
Over 90% of US military equipment is made in the USA.
In 2010 we exported $8,641 million of arms and imported $893 million.
13 out of the top 20 arms manufacturers are American.
1.Lockheed Martin - USA
2.BAE Systems - UK
3.Boeing - USA
4.Northrop Grumman - USA
5.General Dynamics - USA
6.Raytheon - USA
7.EADS - EU
8.Finmeccanica - Italy
9.L-3 Communications - USA
10.United Technologies - USA
11.Thales - France
12.SAIC - USA
13.Oshkosh Truck - USA
14.Computer Sciences Corp. - USA
15.Safran - France
16.Rolls-Royce - UK
17.General Electric - USA
18.Pratt & Whitney - USA
19.ITT Corp. - USA
20.Almaz-Antei - Russia
http://www.sipri.org/research/armaments/production/Top100
we must have American equipment and parts. Pull subsidies from corn, alternate energy, etc. and subsidize American defense industries
Thanks for the list & link.
Huawei is #1 suspect in any of this. If you want to be secure NEVER buy anything with a Huawei parts in it! NEVER!
The Senate has assured that there is no need to go back further. President Clinton has already issued a statement saying that he didn't do it and "no one can prove that he did."
Heck, this is just ‘National Security’. This is how the Federal Government ‘works’.
And these are the folks we are told must take over our health care.
Free trade and capitalism at its finest. Make more profits by outsourcing. Who cares about quality or the US worker? It is all about the bottom line and management bonuses,
Before someone calls me a union jerk, I am management and I’ve been watching it for over 20 years. Just like your representative in Congress the average CEO will act in his own self interest, future of the country be damned. I wish it wasn’t so but it is. Industry, government, academia and the press are run by egotistical self serving elitists, not God fearing patriots. The election of Mitt Romney instead of Barack Obama will not change a thing. When push comes to shove Mitt will back his Wall Street buddies over the American people just like George W Bush bailed out the banks, shoveled TARP money at them, and buried the American people under a mountain of debt.
” Heck, this is just ‘National Security’. This is how the Federal Government ‘works’.
And these are the folks we are told must take over our health care.”
Incompetent fools!!
Over 90% of US military equipment is made in the USA.Using counterfit Chinese parts...Or didn't you even read the article?
Thanks for the ping!
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