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US Weapons 'Full of Fake Chinese Parts'
Thousands of United States' warplanes, ships and missiles contain fake electronic components from China, leaving them open to malfunction, according to a US Senate committee.
The US Senate Armed Services Committee said its researchers had uncovered 1,800 cases in which the Pentagon had been sold electronics that may be counterfeit.
The US Senate Armed Services Committee said its researchers had uncovered 1,800 cases in which the Pentagon had been sold electronics that may be counterfeit. (photo: AP) In total, the committee said it had found more than a million fake parts had made their way into warplanes such as the Boeing C-17 transport jet and the Lockheed Martin C-130J "Super Hercules".
It also found fake components in Boeing's CH-46 Sea Knight helicopter and the Theatre High-Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) missile defence system.
"A million parts is surely a huge number. But I want to repeat this: we have only looked at a portion of the defence supply chain. So those 1,800 cases are just the tip of the iceberg," said Senator Carl Levin.
In around seven in 10 cases, the fake parts originated in China, while investigators traced another 20 per cent of cases to the United Kingdom and Canada, known resale points for Chinese counterfeits.
In the southern Chinese province of Guangdong, counterfeit microchips are often smuggled out of factories, or burned off old computer circuit boards before having their identifying marks sanded off and repainted as new.
In Chinese bazaars, "military grade" microchips are openly advertised, although these chips are often commercial chips that have been modified and relabelled.
Military grade chips are designed to withstand far greater extremes of temperature and humidity, and there are fears that the fake Chinese parts could suddenly fail.
"We cannot tolerate the risk of a ballistic missile interceptor failing to hit its target, a helicopter pilot unable to fire his missiles, or any other mission failure because of a counterfeit part," said John McCain, the senior Republican Senator on the committee.
Experts said the problems are not new, and have dated from a decision in the 1990s by the Clinton administration to cut costs by asking the Pentagon to buy "off-the-shelf" electronics, rather than designing its own systems.
As electronics manufacturing migrated to China, the US has been less and less able to control the quality of its military hardware. Some of the fake chips are bought by the Pentagon on the open market in order to maintain its fleet of older vehicles, which have outdated circuitry. These chips are often salvaged by Chinese scrap merchants from the dumps of electronic waste that have accumulated in the south of the country.
In 2008, an investigation by the US Commerce department found nearly 7,400 incidents of fake electronics in military hardware, while in 2005, internal Pentagon documents suggested that there had been equipment malfunctions because of fake parts.
The senate committee said China should "act promptly" and clamp down on its flourishing electronics black market.
However, Song Xiaojun, a former Peoples' Liberation Army officer who has become a nationalistic commentator in the Chinese media said the US had "got itself into the position it is in".
"The US has been dismantling its factories since the 1960s," he said. "And since the Clinton government, the US has turned a blind eye towards military requisitioning. As it keeps cutting its procurement budget, weapons dealers will keep providing cheaper quality products," he added. "This attack on China is political, given the forthcoming elections. But it should not be blaming China, this is a free market issue. The only solution the US has is to buy its components from Korea or Japan instead, but then its costs will rise a hundredfold."
In an interview with the New York Times on Sunday, Leon Panetta, the US Defence secretary, acknowledged that he may have to cut new weapons purchases as he tries to trim $450 billion (£280 billion) off the defence budget over the next decade.
74 Comments so far
Show AllHow the mighty fall?
The US Gov. spends billions and mandates that industries spend billions on security, much of it faux security that provides no security at great expense.
The US Dept. of Commerce has helped US industries that make everything from bolts to chips move their operations overseas to the extent that the US is 100% dependent upon China (and other nations that could become our enemies) to furnish many products essential to keep the US economy (and the military) going.
Meanwhile, the US Gov. has been spending tens of billions and mandating that industries spend tens of billions on security projects that provide no security. Beefing up the Border Patrol on the Canadian Border is one of the most glaring faux security project. Oops, your'e right, those Canadians may attempt to smuggle single payer medical insurance into the US.
"I like big fat guys like you. When they fall, they fall hard, and sometimes they never get up!" Our fat, brutal kleptocratic empire versus Tuco Ramirez.
Globalization and out-sourcing bringing down the world's most insane military. Who knew it would be so easy?
Wow counterfeit Chinese parts and Israeli intelligence. Quite the military we have today isn't it? State Department security contractors from Peru and Uganda protecting our embassy but unable to speak English. Who'd of thunk? You'd think the bill would go down, but it doesn't.
And let's not consider how even our domestic publicly used airlines have outsourced their maintenance and inspections to foreign firms:
"A couple of decades ago, U.S. airlines repaired and serviced their own airplanes in the U.S. But by the late 1980s, when labor costs rose and rules about foreign airplane repairs relaxed, airlines began outsourcing maintenance to less expensive repair shops. In 2003, airlines outsourced 34 percent of heavy maintenance, which includes taking an airplane apart and putting it back together, a process that can take weeks. That share rose to 71 percent by 2007, according to an inspector general's report in 2008."
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39383369/ns/travel/t/outsourcing-safety-airplane-repairs-move-unregulated-foreign-shops/
http://investigativereportingworkshop.org/investigations/flying-cheaper/story/outsourcing-airline-maintenance/
Poetic Justice is served.
Finally good news.
I agree.
How ironic. The Chinese profit motive destroying the imperial war machine. LOL!
Yep. It seems capitalism has a "Chink" in its armor. ;>)
Indeed! It gives me a glimmer of hope. Irony is the Universe's way of saying "Hi".
The ultimate irony of globalization.
I guess aftermarket parts aren't just for old VW bugs and Mustangs anymore.
And with all the specs they've gathered, let's not forget to act surprised about the Chinese developing the DF-21 carrier-killing ballistic missile.
This is rich irony, the US government and defense dept getting a dressing down and a heavy dose or reality from a former PLA officer (Mao's army, mind you). Oh Brave New World, or rather a third world power that still thinks it is an empire, underpinning its bluster with an outsourced, first world military on steroids.
That's what happens when you "outsource" National Security to your competitors. ............Are corporate profits still more important than our National Security?
politicians and their cronies think so
it's really just notional security.
Not to worry. China is unlikely to do anything that would threaten the U.S. so long as Walmart provides them access to the world's biggest and dumbest retail market.
"National Security" is protecting the 1% from the 99%. The former could care less where the missiles land or who fired them. It's Their Economy Stupid.
I agree, Phil. The 1% don't care if military equipment fails, they only care that they made a handsome profit off of the faux military equipment. Every bullet shot, every missile launched, every plane that takes off generates profits for the 1%. War is a racket, it is not about anything else.
hahhahahhahhahahahahahaha.....the adage .'you get what you pay for' sounds really ironic at the moment.
The ignorance of sending weapon manufacturing jobs overseas anywhere just smacks of the most ludicrous ignorance I can imagine. They should have left all the MIC works here so we'd have more places to protest war.
The more that citizens clamor for Peace and against this insane and DAFT war that America is trapped in, the more likely becomes the cutting of the Defense budget and the less likely the need to buy more faulty or tainted military parts, if those things concern you.
As a practical matter, I suggest yelling for Peace as aggressively as possible (a War for Peace!)
From the comfort of your home, I suggest helping to get the acronym DAFT into the world lexicon.
They invented GWOT to start the insanity. They have used WOT, The Long War and Kinetic Blah Blah Blah to continue it.
DAFT was invented in order to end it. This weapon is only as powerful as the number of people using the term.
When enough people use the term, this insanity will end.
Then we stop worrying about buying faulty Hello Kitty bombsights and exploding Happy MRE-Meal toys.
"We cannot tolerate the risk of a ballistic missile interceptor failing to hit its target, a helicopter pilot unable to fire his missiles, or any other mission failure because of a counterfeit part ..."
Oh, I dunno. Doesn't sound like such a bad outcome to me, although total failure to launch would be even better.
"As [the US] keeps cutting its procurement budget, [US] weapons dealers will keep providing cheaper quality products"
Yep, thats "patriotism" for ya! Profits before national security.
Cheap Chinese Chips? How else can American War Profiteers make such plunderful profits? In FDR's age Harry would have these folks hanging by their thumbs. So should we.
Are these the same American contractors pushing for the US to bomb Iran?
You nailed it.
I read an article in one of those military sites several years ago about one of our new fighter planes being tested or brought on line or some such. In the article, it stated something to the effect that the new ultra-deadly, ultra-efficient combat computer was partly made in China.
Two things immediately came to mind. First, if I was a Chinese producer of American military hardware, I'd figure out some way to put a kill switch or program in it so if we ever went to war with America, one of our fighter pilots would just have to push a button and the American system would self-destruct. Same with ICBM computer systems.
Second, having lived in the Far East for a while, and having a lot of friends who have done business there, I know that using inferior materials, parts, etc., is not considered to be cheating the customer, it is just using good business practices. I think it is a cultural thing. When I found out that Boeing was having a lot of its sub-assemblies made in China and shipped over here to be assembled, I lost my enthusiasm for flying Boeing.
Some years ago, a friend gave me some advice. If you ever have a boat built in China, be sure you have a trusted American watching it and keeping the materials under lock and key at all times. He had contracted to have a teak boat built, bronze fastened. The boat of a lifetime, to last for a lifetime. When the boat was delivered it looked beautiful. After it had been in the water for a year or so, it started to fall apart. When it was hauled and surveyed, they found that, wherever you couldn't see it, cheap wood was substituted for teak. They had substituted brass for the bronze fastenings he had paid for, so of course they quickly de-zincified and lost their strength.
If you can do it cheaper and increase your profits, it is acceptable. Hence adulterated foods, toys that fall apart or poison the child, Clothing that falls apart while you wear it.
Come to think of it, that pretty well matches what we see in the 1%, doesn't it.
"Second, having lived in the Far East for a while, and having a lot of friends who have done business there, I know that using inferior materials, parts, etc., is not considered to be cheating the customer, it is just using good business practices. I think it is a cultural thing."
No it isn't. Or rather, it is "you pays yours money, you takes your chances" / "you get what you pay for".
If you pay crap prices, you get crap stuff / service.
And to claim that it is a "far east" cultural thing is ridiculous. China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, S Korea are all part of the "far east".
"If you can do it cheaper and increase your profits, it is acceptable. Hence adulterated foods, toys that fall apart or poison the child, Clothing that falls apart while you wear it."
Many of those same factories in China that produce crap stuff / counterfeit stuff, also produce high quality stuff. It is a matter of what you are pay. If you pay crap you get crap. As you say, if you it cheaper, you get crap.
>>minitrue: "... having lived in the Far East for a while, and having a lot of friends who have done business there, I know that using inferior materials, parts, etc., is not considered to be cheating the customer, it is just using good business practices. I think it is a cultural thing."<<
Actually, minitrue, it has been my observation and experience that you get more value for money in the Far East. That is in general. There may be exceptions.
This "cultural thing" you speak of, is a tricky thing, because there's too much generalization involved. People attend courses to learn precisely from a culture that stresses on reliability of products from one of those "Far Eastern" countries. Try to read up on the "Taguchi methods" which were one of those approaches that went into developing the "Six Sigma" protocols.
>>Some years ago, a friend gave me some advice. If you ever have a boat built in China, be sure you have a trusted American watching it and keeping the materials under lock and key at all times.<<
Did you know that South Korea is the world's largest shipbuilding nation today? And whatever Japan and South Korea have done, sooner or later China ends up accomplishing too. So this "culture" thing seems transient and shouldn't be taken too seriously.
Perhaps a conditional apology is due here. I have met Chinese artisans and craftsmen who did magnificent work and took great pride in it. My comment was directed mainly to the "businessman". Maximization of profit is the rule. As I say, not much different than the 1% here. It doesn't make much difference who or how many get sick or die as long as the costs are kept down and the profits are high.
If you can do it and not get caught, you are a very clever businessman.
If you get caught, you are a stupid businessman.
Yeah, you're right. It is probably global.
"Second, having lived in the Far East for a while, and having a lot of friends who have done business there, I know that using inferior materials, parts, etc., is not considered to be cheating the customer, it is just using good business practices. I think it is a cultural thing."
If it's a "cultural thing," then it's something the Americans share with the Far Easterners.
So in order to SAVE money the Pentagon must procure Electronics from China.
The price of the same would increase many times over were they to manufacture their own or seek them elsewhere.
Yet the US Military spends more then the rest of the world combined on its military for things like 1 billion dollar bombers that crash when they hit a seagull.
It all begs the question. How much more must the US spend in its Military to ensure it gets the right stuff? 2 trillion per year?
"Oh no," this might mean the USA can't go to war with some other country we haven't already gone to war wtih. Damn. "What will you do?" Could this be our Karl Mauldin moment?
"It all begs the question. How much more must the US spend in its Military to ensure it gets the right stuff? 2 trillion per year?"
And there is the thesis of the article, citing Levin and McCain, namely: "we can't cut the defense budget if we want to procure quality parts for our war machine, which we are soon to engage in another mega-war in with Iran. Cut the SS, Medicare, Medicaid, not the Pentagon budget."
They didn't buy from China to save money. They did it to enrich American companies who moved to China to avoid taxes and fair wages.
Kool.Kurt Vonegut could have made this up.
he would have loved it!
This is worse than counterfeit Viagra!
Well, you might have a point. In both the cases of the C-17 and the male there may be a failure to get it up sufficiently. The latter may suffer humiliation, but the former a far worse crash landing.
Wasn't there something about this in the "Art of War" Sun Tzu? People never learn.
I wonder if the counterfeit chips can be made to obey China?
Hopefully, they will have a back door (providing the Israelis haven't beaten them to it).
Wouldn't it be funny if there was a clash of backdoors and the Chinese back door hit the Israeli on the way out?
"We cannot tolerate the risk of a ballistic missile interceptor failing to hit its target, a helicopter pilot unable to fire his missiles, or any other mission failure because of a counterfeit part," said John McCain, the senior Republican Senator on the committee.
"We prefer to rely on human error," he concluded.
Don't knock human error. McCain used it to bring down five aircraft ... The ones he was piloting.
Yes and the Navy promoted him and then he became a US Senator. Talking about Fucking Up...ward!
"We cannot tolerate the risk of a ballistic missile interceptor failing to hit its target [nothing new there], a helicopter pilot unable to fire his missiles [at journalists in Iraq?], or any other mission failure [in Vietnam?, Somlia?, Lebanon?, Iraq?, Afghanistan?, Iran?] because of a counterfeit part," [or counterfeit "War Hero"]
The US has been dismantling its factories since the 1960s," he said. "And since the Clinton government, the US has turned a blind eye towards military requisitioning. As it keeps cutting its procurement budget, weapons dealers will keep providing cheaper quality products," he added. "This attack on China is political, given the forthcoming elections. But it should not be blaming China, this is a free market issue. The only solution the US has is to buy its components from Korea or Japan instead, but then its costs will rise a hundredfold."
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That's right free-traders...beside your profit margins only one-line matters nothing else...and the wolf comes home...
I really like the idea of Limeys and Canadians being middlemen for funky Chinese chips.
hiya folks
Anybody remember the fake bomb detectors one US and one UK company were selling to anybody moronic enough to spend thousands (each) on divining rods !?
http://gizmodo.com/5455692/ade+651-magic-wand-bomb-detector-is-a-fraud-probably-killed-hundreds
PS; I used to work in electronics, and the modern electronics industry along with most others use ISO9001 and assorted QA procedures WITH serious paper trails. If dodgy sub-assemblies with 'counterfeit' or recycled components were used, that means there is serious fraud ion the outsourcing subcontractors, time for the DoJ and the GAO to go chase down the cheating perps and hang a few to set a good example for the others.