Pentagon Worries About Chinese Chips

Forbes ^ | 9/4/08 | Andrew T. Gillies, 09.04.08, 3:09 PM ET

[Flavius]

Washington, D.C. -

At a conference in Washington, D.C., this week, a Department of Defense official sounded a startling alarm.

"The defense community is critically reliant on a technology that obsoletes itself every 18 months, is made in unsecure locations and over which we have absolutely no market share influence," said Ted J. Glum, director of the DoD's Defense Microelectronics Activity unit.

"Other than that," he cracked, "we're good."

[Flavius]

on the other hand we maybe ok, seems at least 1/2 of their guys are occupied

[ken21]

well, gosh, bit late to be worrying ‘bout this!

[Carl LaFong]

Once more, to invoke Homer Simpson : “mmmmmmmmmmm....Chinese chips.”

[Jeff Chandler]

[Pelham]

Obviously the Pentagon is filled with Isolationists and Protectionists who refuse to worship at the altar of global free trade.

If there’s war with China the invisible hand of the market will save us. Or something.

[doc1019]

Yes, a little late, considering that my computer is full of Chinese chips. I hope there is a tremendous amount of reverse engineering going on somewhere within the government. ;-(

[TheWasteLand]

I find the original non-Chinese version alarming enough!

[cripplecreek]

Chinese Spying a Threat, Panel Says (nov 07)

The Pentagon is increasingly buying planes, weapons and military vehicles from private contractors that outsource the manufacturing to plants in China and elsewhere in Asia, the report said. But when questioned by the commission, defense officials admitted that they do not have the ability to track where the components of military equipment are made.

"As weaponry gets more and more sophisticated . . . I think well find ourselves more vulnerable for parts that are being manufactured by an adversary. It's really something the Pentagon needs to look at seriously," said commission member William A. Reinsch, president of the National Foreign Trade Council, which promotes free trade on behalf of businesses. Members said that the commission had never before delved so deeply into national security issues.

The report said China's military advances "have surprised U.S. defense and intelligence officials, and raised questions about the quality of our assessments of China's military capabilities."

[Squantos]

LMAO !

Well thanks for not showing us the 10 ring on that chinamans target he’s wearing on his butt !

[Pontiac]

Phone and other consumer tech manufacturers, by contrast, work in huge volumes and, given rapid product turnover, don't make durability a high priority.

That’s for sure. You’re very lucky indeed if your cell phone last to the end of your 2 year contract. Treat it gingerly and don’t carry it around in your pocket if you perspire more than the average person. And don’t forget to buy the insurance if you like the pricier models.

Sounds like there may be a opening market for boutique chip makers specializing in making chips specifically for the defense industry.

[TheBattman]

A little late now for the Us government to be worried about the US tech industry they rely on being outsourced... Tax and regulate US companies to death, then get upset when they quit producing vital parts and goods here in the States.

[weegee]

Our National Security interests used to consider things like this. But there is a willful intent to weaken the country from within.

[ken21]

chicom chairman hu jintao could be looking at your computer screen just this minute!

[weegee]

Military grade chips used to have tougher specs. USED TO apparently is the operative term.

[weegee]

Are there bugs and viruses in those chips???

[familyop]

The same corporates who brought such security holes to us are now flocking in large numbers to the mountains to establish their hideaways and avoid the consequences of their actions. It goes with their opinion that depopulation would not be a bad result.

[lilylangtree]

Military finally getting around to be concerned. I’ve owned shares for years in a company out of CA where the CEO’s big bucks relative out of Hong Kong was its largest backer. That same company has big bucks contracts with the military to provide them with chips for various things. The military should have been concerned a very long time ago.

[Pontiac]

My older sister worked for RCA in the early 70s making micro chips. She had to have a security clearance. She was in quality control. NASA chips had the tightest specs, then DOD and consumer last.

Some of the chips were made for no one else but DOD and each and every chip that came of the assembly line had to be accounted for.

[doc1019]

LOL! Hope he like pictures of “nakid american woomens”. ;-)