Counterfeit Chinese Parts Found in U.S. Military Equipment
A new report addressed the growing problem of foreign made counterfeit parts ending up in U.S. military equipment.
The report was the culmination of an investigation put forth by the Senate Armed Services Committee, which reviewed the practices of companies who were contracted by the U.S. government to provide various military equipment and parts.
"Our report outlines how this flood of counterfeit parts, overwhelmingly from China, threatens national security, the safety of our troops and American jobs," said Sen. Carl Levin, who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee.
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The investigation stared in March 2011, but go off to a shaky start. U.S. investigators had a difficult time getting visas because the Chinese government delayed issuing the proper documentation to allow U.S. officials to enter mainland China.
Eventually the visas were issued and the investigation was able to continue without obstruction.
The committee reviewed the reports, which detailed approximately 1,800 cases of suspected counterfeit activity that totaled more than 1 million counterfeit parts.
The report also highlighted the widespread use of counterfeit parts in a wide range of U.S. military equipment including Air Force cargo planes, helicopters and communication equipment.
More than 70 percent of the counterfeit parts came from China, but phony parts also originated from the United Kingdom and Canada.
The counterfeit parts were able to find their way into U.S. military equipment due to a tangled network of suppliers and contractors from over 650 companies. The supply chain had several suppliers providing parts to various contractors and as the parts exchanged hands it became increasingly harder to tell where they originated from.
"The failure of a single electronic part can leave a soldier, sailor, airman, or Marine vulnerable at the worst possible time," according to the report. "Unfortunately, a flood of counterfeit electronic parts has made it a lot harder to prevent that from happening."
