Counterfeit electronics found in US military parts

First announced on March 2011 by Chairman Carl Levin and Ranking Member John McCain, the hearing will explore sources of counterfeit electronic parts, cases where counterfeit electronic parts have penetrated the defense supply chain, and the cost and potential impact on defense systems. Specifically, the hearing will cover counterfeit parts found in the U.S. Navy SH-60B Helicopter – FLIR, manufactured by Raytheon, the U.S. Air Force C-27J by L-3 Communications and U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon – Manufactured by Boeing. The hearing follows an investigation that found 1,800 cases of suspect counterfeit electronic parts identified by some companies in the defense supply chain, with the total number of suspect parts exceeding 1 million. In more than 70 percent of those cases, the trail led to China. Nearly 20 percent of the remaining cases were tracked to the UK and Canada – known resale points for counterfeit electronic parts from China. The investigation reviewed more than 100,000 pages of Defense Department documents and material from more than 70 companies.