Flying fraudulenty – how a weak supply chain became the USAF's worst enemy

Yet another reason to bring back some of the key manufacturing sectors. This is what you get when many of the key circuitry and electronic components are supplied by overseas vendors (not just China). The problem is that there are more distributors then manufacturers of components in the DOD given the current lineup of weapons systems. Surely this is not a propoganda or anti-china rhetoric but a genuine problem.

Based on the results of a year-long investigation instigated by Sen. Carl Levin, SASC chairman, and Sen. McCain, the publication - 'Inquiry into Counterfeit Electronic Parts in the Department of Defense Supply Chain' - makes for damning reading. For 2009 and 2010 alone, the report catalogues 1,800 cases involving bogus parts in assemblies destined for use in aircraft as diverse as transport, special-ops helicopters and state-of-the-art surveillance planes, totalling more than a million individual suspected fake components.

LINK
GAO_Link
Your thoughts/opinions/viewpoints/comments please.

reply to post by hp1229


Yeah I remember when this originally broke. I really wasn't surprised. I've been watching the Air Force fall apart for the last few years through budget cuts. As long as they are forced to go with the lowest bidder, and their budget gets slashed every year, and contractors hyperinflate contacts, this is going to happen. No matter where you get parts from.

Back in the late 1980s or early 1990s, the Air Force switched to a new maker of center wing fuel pumps, from somewhere in the Midwest. Shortly after they lost a KC-135 in flight with all hands, and another on the ground that killed four ground crew members. They found one in the cockpit with his hand on the pump switch. The fuel pumps, instead of circulating a small amount of fuel for lubrication, were using it, which allowed metal on metal contact, which sparked in the tank.

I wonder how many electronic components manufactured by China, which are currently in each and every weapon system the USA has in use, do contain hardware backdoors or remotely triggered malfunctions.

To be fair though, the US does the same with the Missiles it delivers to Nations in the Middle East. Try firing one at an American or Israeli target. You might be surprised.

Thanks for this article.

Not just the supply chain, but also the contractors who supply navigation and security services fail the USAF.
I was enlisted when the Modification order came to remove all navigator's Sextants from C-130s.
The reasoning was that Navigator training was too expensive and the sextants were not worth it.
So I guess when the digital sh*t from China fries, we can afford to lose the plane?

I don't understand the level of waste in the gov't. Just like the DRONES. $250,000,000 per unit counting R&D.
Inflated just like pharmaceuticals, and almost as useless, unless you like killing.

We could use so many factories in the USA. A NASA scientist who visited a museum and gave a speech when I was in 7th grade told us that "Appalachia could have factories making carbon polymer armor and car parts" within the next 10 years. Well, here we are 17 years later, and the troops don't even have cheap carbon polymer NASA grade body armor for pennies a pound.

reply to post by KhufuKeplerTriangleWell lately there has been a push by the DOD to encourage local manufacturing of supplies/components amongst the Business Communities. I do know during war times, it is preferrable to establish the manufacturing domestically for replenishments. During peace times, the economic and political favors leads us to such wastage and degraded quality of parts and vital components. I just wish the manufacturing atleast for the DOD shifts 80% back to the US for many of its weapons systems.

Originally posted by hp1229
reply to post by KhufuKeplerTriangle

 

Well lately there has been a push by the DOD to encourage local manufacturing of supplies/components amongst the Business Communities. I do know during war times, it is preferrable to establish the manufacturing domestically for replenishments. During peace times, the economic and political favors leads us to such wastage and degraded quality of parts and vital components. I just wish the manufacturing atleast for the DOD shifts 80% back to the US for many of its weapons systems.

I think if our country grew the majority of food domestically, we'd have a lot less to worry about, because we wouldn't need all that fuel and military presence...

Yes we should be making our parts here in USA! Why should ANY foreign group know all the ins and outs!?

BTW did you guys see that France and Germany don't want to do biz with BAE? Ruhroh @.@
Apparently if they make deals with BAE they wanna know what the other countries have bought from them...
And the US/UK wouldn't spill the beans.

kind of a bad position to be in for everyone involved

Originally posted by KhufuKeplerTriangle

Originally posted by hp1229
reply to post by KhufuKeplerTriangle

 

Well lately there has been a push by the DOD to encourage local manufacturing of supplies/components amongst the Business Communities. I do know during war times, it is preferrable to establish the manufacturing domestically for replenishments. During peace times, the economic and political favors leads us to such wastage and degraded quality of parts and vital components. I just wish the manufacturing atleast for the DOD shifts 80% back to the US for many of its weapons systems.

I think if our country grew the majority of food domestically, we'd have a lot less to worry about, because we wouldn't need all that fuel and military presence...

Yes we should be making our parts here in USA! Why should ANY foreign group know all the ins and outs!?

BTW did you guys see that France and Germany don't want to do biz with BAE? Ruhroh @.@
Apparently if they make deals with BAE they wanna know what the other countries have bought from them...
And the US/UK wouldn't spill the beans.

kind of a bad position to be in for everyone involved

True if the world progressed ideally However in a not so ideal world, the military will be there forever. I have no issues for certain types of products to be imported or manufactured overseas. But certain segment of the military hardware should not be compromised at any cost. Atleast for the key military hardware components, domestically manufactured components has a better liability and accountability then overseas manufactured ones (even though there are loopholes).